NATO Secretary General:

600,000 Russian soldiers already casualties of war

President Vladimir Putin during a wreath-laying ceremony in Moscow in memory of the Russian soldiers who died in the Second World War(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Alexander KAZAKOV)

NATO assumes that "more than 600,000 Russian soldiers" have already been killed or wounded in Ukraine. "Vladimir Putin is not in a position to maintain his attack on Ukraine without foreign support," said Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels, confirming reports of North Korean troops being sent to Russia.

Following consultations about a possible imminent combat deployment of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine, Rutte also said that he could confirm that North Korean military units were stationed in the Kursk region near the border. From the perspective of the defense alliance, this represents a significant escalation and a dangerous expansion of Russia's war.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte(Bild: APA/AP)

According to the South Korean secret service, North Korea is said to have already sent thousands of soldiers to Russia and is planning to deploy a total of around 12,000 soldiers. Russia and North Korea rejected the intention of a combat mission in the Russian-Ukrainian war as speculation until recently.

Selensky calls for international reaction
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently called for an international response in view of the possible deployment of North Korean soldiers on Russia's side. "Ukraine will effectively be forced to fight against North Korea in Europe," the head of state stated. Without decisive action by the allies, Russian President Vladimir Putin would only be encouraged to further "terror", he warned.