The Kremlin had previously dismissed reports of North Korean troop deployment as "fake news."
When asked about satellite images showing North Korean troops' movements at the BRICS summit in Kazan, he said, "Images are a serious thing. If there are images, then they reflect something."
He then mentioned the military pact with North Korea during a summit in Pyongyang in June, which was ratified by the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament earlier in the day. The upper house is expected to follow suit soon.
"We have never doubted that the North Korean leadership takes our agreements seriously. What and how we will do within the framework of this [pact] is our business," Putin said.
Reiterating his claims that the west escalated the Ukraine crisis, he added, "We know who is present there, from which European NATO countries, and how they carry out this work."
Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed that the first batch of North Korean troops dispatched to Russia has arrived in Kursk, a Russian territory occupied by Ukraine. Hundreds of square kilometers of Kursk Oblast, which borders the northeastern part of Ukraine, has been occupied by Ukrainian forces following a cross-border incursion in August.
Quoting a source from the country's Main Directorate of Intelligence, local media reported that North Korean troops have been spotted in the Kursk area, allegedly engaging in operations there. Their reports also indicate that about 12,000 North Korean troops, including three high-ranking brass and around 500 military officers, are currently training at five military bases in eastern Russia.
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