Pentagon on North Korean Troop Presence in Ukraine

The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has stated that he cannot confirm reports regarding the presence of North Korean troops in the special military operation zone in Ukraine, according to TASS.

"I've seen these reports in the media. I cannot confirm them at this time," he stated at a press conference following the first meeting of G7 defense ministers in Naples. Austin mentioned that this is an "issue that the United States will continue to investigate."

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that, according to his intelligence data, North Korea had sent "tactical personnel and officers" to Donbas and Novorossiya, and that Pyongyang was "preparing to send thousands of soldiers to Ukraine."