In a recent press briefing on 25 November, the US Department of Defense’s Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said that the Pentagon has “don’t have any indications that there are DPRK soldiers in Ukraine.” She noted that North Korean troops are currently positioned around Russia’s Kursk Oblast but are “not moving into Ukraine at the moment.”
When questioned about a report of 500 North Korean soldiers being killed in Kursk Oblast, Singh emphasized that the US “can’t independently confirm casualties of North Korean soldiers.“
Singh also confirmed that the US is “soliciting bids for a small number of [American] contractors to go into Ukraine to help with repairs and maintenance.” However, she explicitly stated that as of the briefing, no contractors had yet entered the country.
The official additionally indicated that the Pentagon is still examining the damage caused by a Russian Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) in Ukraine’s Dnipro City. She noted that they are continuing to work with Ukrainian counterparts but currently lack a comprehensive assessment.
For inquiries about potential anti-personnel landmine (APL) shipments to Ukraine, Singh maintained the Pentagon’s standard approach of not announcing equipment delivery details, deferring to Ukrainian officials for such communications.
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