North Korea’s top envoy to the United Nations indirectly admitted the country has sent troops to Russia, when asked point blank during a UN Security Council(UNSC) meeting. 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood asked the question during a UNSC session on the war in Ukraine, and North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song did not deny the country has dispatched troops to Russia.

Kim responded that the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia fully conforms with international law and the UN charter, adding that the North will faithfully maintain its obligations under the treaty.

The treaty, signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June after a summit in Pyongyang, includes a mutual defense clause saying the two countries will provide military support to each other if either one comes under attack.

The North Korean envoy appears to have repeated the North’s position, stressing the strong cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang without directly mentioning the troops.