Ukraine will be allowed to fire US-donated weapons at North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia, the Pentagon has confirmed.
Troops from the Communist, hermit state would be seen as “co-belligerents” in Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Pentagon said.
Sabrina Singh, the spokeswoman, confirmed intelligence reports that a portion of some 10,000 North Korean soldiers sent for training in Russia have been deployed closer to the front lines.
She told reporters on Monday: “We are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Oblast near the border with Ukraine.”
Asked whether Ukraine would be restricted from using US weapons against the arriving North Korean forces, she added: “If they are in combat, they’re fighting the Ukrainians, who are fighting for their sovereign territory. And we’ve made a commitment to Ukraine that we’re going to continue to support them with whatever it takes.”
The US has lifted restrictions on many of its weapons, allowing Kyiv’s men to fire them into Russian soil.
However, Washington is maintaining limits on the use of long-range Atacms missiles. It has also played a role in preventing British Storm Shadow missiles from being used in cross-border raids.