North Korea’s foreign ministry defended its right to deploy troops to support Russia without explicitly confirming their alleged involvement in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, a marked departure from last week’s denial of the claims as “groundless” rumors.

In a statement released through the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday, DPRK vice foreign minister Kim Jong Gyu said the “rumor” of soldiers being dispatched to Russia is a matter for Pyongyang’s defense ministry, stating that the foreign ministry “does not feel the need to confirm it separately.” 

However, he disputed other countries’ claim that the alleged deployment is “illegal”