International

The United States confirms that North Korea has sent soldiers to Russia to fight in Ukraine

The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, has confirmed that North Korea has sent troops to Russia to join the Russian forces fighting in the war with Ukraine, US media reported on Wednesday.

In statements made on a visit to a military base in Italy, Austin described North Korea’s presence in Russia as a “very serious” escalation that would have consequences in both Europe and Asia.

“What exactly are they doing?” Austin told journalists at a military base in Italy. “It’s to be seen.”

The Secretary of Defense did not give details about the number of troops that are already there or the number expected to arrive, but its confirmation comes after US intelligence officials have announced that they are preparing to publish a large amount of information, including satellite photographs, showing troop ships moving from North Korea to training areas in Vladivostok, on the east coast of Russia, and other Russian territories further north.

Seoul believes that there are already 3,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia

According to US officials, so far the North Korean soldiers have not arrived in Ukraine.

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However, the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimates that Pyongyang has already sent about 3,000 soldiers to Russian territory, where they are theoretically preparing to be transferred to the front in Ukraine.

This information, which has been shared with members of the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee, indicates that about 10,000 soldiers could be deployed in Ukraine by December, without offering more information about it.

Already on Friday, the NIS itself revealed that it foresaw the sending of about 12,000 troops, including a unit of the Special Forces, a figure that is close to what Kiev also said.

Of the total number of troops, about 1,500 troops would already be in bases in the Russian Far East, receiving instruction, in addition to weapons, uniforms and Russian identity cards.

South Korean intelligence considers that after the first transport of those 1,500 soldiers, which took place between October 8 and 13, new transfers have been made that have practically doubled the number of North Korean troops on Russian soil.

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One of the parliamentarians of the committee who was informed by the director of the NIS himself has assured that “he provided fairly well-founded information indicating that about 10,000 men will be deployed” for the month of December in Ukraine, according to statements collected by the Yonhap agency.

Partnership agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang

This information has been labeled as “hoaxes by Moscow and “absurd comments” by Pyongyang.

South Korea considers, like many experts, that the sending of troops is based on the strategic partnership pact that Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June and that urges mutual assistance in the event that one of the two countries is attacked, a scenario that would have opened up after Ukraine’s incursions in the Russian regions of Belgorod and Kursk.

International

Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids

Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.

The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.

In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.

He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”

The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.

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The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.

International

Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win

Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.

“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.

In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”

International

Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains

Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.

The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.

“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”

Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.