ukra "first deployment of north korean troops"...russia "will take care of ourselves"

[Anchor]
Ukrainian authorities have claimed that North Korean troops have been deployed for the first time on the front lines of the Russian state of Kursk.

"It's up to us," Russian President Putin said, without denying when asked whether he would send North Korean troops.

Reporter Shin Woong-jin's report.

[Reporter]
Russian President Vladimir Putin has opened his mouth for the first time on reports of a North Korean troop dispatch.

Putin responded to a U.S. reporter asking about satellite images showing North Korean troops sending troops to Russia at a news conference on the settlement of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Tatarstan.

[Vladimir Putin / Russian President] To answer the first question, the image is serious. If a photo exists, it reflects something.]

In return, I did not deny the dispatch of North Korean troops.

He went on to emphasize that the Russian House of Representatives ratified the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with North Korea, which has provisions related to mutual military aid.

[Vladimir Putin / Russian President] I have no doubt that the North Korean leadership is taking the agreement with Russia seriously. But it's up to us what we do and how we do it.

In the midst of this, it was argued that North Korean troops were deployed to the front for the first time.

Local media reported that the Ukrainian military intelligence bureau said its forces had seen North Korean troops in Kursk on the 23rd.

Kyodo news agency also quoted Ukrainian military sources as saying that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers had completed their training and moved to western Russia, close to the Ukrainian border.

Kursk, in southwestern Russia, is a border area where Ukrainian forces entered on August 6 and occupied parts of it and were engaged with Russian forces, and North Korean troops have been mentioned for a long time.

Ukraine believes about 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, including three generals and 500 officers.

I'm YTN's Shin Woongjin.