25.Speaking to Russian propagandist Olga Skabeyeva, Putin did not explicitly confirm the dispatch of North Korean soldiers, saying that "once it's necessary to make a decision, we will do so."When foreign journalists asked Putin about the matter at the BRICS summit on Oct. 24, he said that the Russia-North Korea defense treaty provides for such a step.Asked about satellite images provided by South Korean intelligence, allegedly showing North Korean soldiers heading to Russia, Putin replied, "Images are a serious thing; if there are images, they reflect something."The comments were seen as the first indirect admission by Russia about the deployment of North Korean troops, which has already been confirmed by Ukraine, South Korea, the U.S., and others.Pyongyang has dismissed the reports as "groundless rumors.