North Korea is not sending 100,000 soldiers to aid Russia

Claim: North Korea is sending 100,000 soldiers to aid Russia in its efforts to invade Ukraine.

Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the Facebook post containing this claim has gotten over 1,500 reactions, 191 comments, and 35 shares. 

The bottom line: There are no news reports, statements, or official announcements from the Russian, North Korean, or Ukrainian government to prove this. In a separate fact check by Newsweek on August 8, the Russian foreign ministry clarified that there is no truth to this claim.

Russia-North Korea ties: The most recent statement Russian president Vladimir Putin gave in relation to North Korea was in a letter addressed to the country’s leader Kim Jong Un on Monday, August 15.

• According to North Korea’s state news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Putin sent a letter to Kim on the 77th anniversary of the end of Japan’s occupation of the Korean peninsula. Putin said that their two countries would “expand the comprehensive and constructive bilateral relations with common efforts.” 

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24 and this has since resulted in an unprecedented refugee crisis, sanctions that have affected the global economy, and a death toll that has been estimated to have reached thousands. – Sofia Guanzon/Rappler.com 

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.