WASHINGTON, November 4. /TASS/. The US State Department said that 10,000 North Korean servicemen are deployed in Russia’s Kursk Region.

"We now assess that as many as 10,000 have made their way to Kursk and could enter combat in the coming days," Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman told a news conference.

He was commenting on Western speculation that there are North Korean soldiers in Russia. The spokesman said he was aware of news reports that the soldiers are already fighting in the Kursk Region, but was unable to confirm them.

"As we have said, we expected that it was likely that they would enter into combat against Ukrainian forces," he said. "And if they did, they would be legitimate military targets."

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently commented on the satellite images published by Seoul, which allegedly indicate the presence of North Korean military personnel in Russia, by calling them "a serious matter." However, said NATO troops have long been directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. Putin pointed out that the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang has a clause on joint defense.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on October 30 that there is nothing special or unusual about Moscow and Pyongyang’s strategic alliance, despite attempts by the West to demonize it. She stated that those who are committed to peaceful cooperation with Moscow have nothing to worry about.

Ukrainian forces started a major attack on the Kursk Region on August 6. The government declared a federal-level emergency there and started to evacuate people living near the border to safer areas. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine has lost more than 29,600 servicemen and 184 tanks since the start of fighting in the Kursk area. The operation to destroy Ukrainian formations is ongoing.