About 3,000 North Korean troops deployed 50 km from Ukrainian border in Kursk Oblast – Financial Times

Approximately 3,000 North Korean military personnel were brought to Russia's Kursk Oblast this week and deployed just 50 km from the Ukrainian border.

Source: Financial Times, citing senior Ukrainian intelligence officials

Quote: "Senior Ukrainian intelligence officials told the Financial Times that about 3,000 North Korean troops have been secretly transported in civilian trucks from Russia’s far east to its western Kursk Oblast.

One official said that only a few hundred of those 3,000 were special forces, the others being regular troops. They were housed on Monday in barracks about 50 km from the Ukrainian border, where they were awaiting further orders from Russian command."

Details: At the same time, the article says that Ukrainian intelligence officials doubt the quality and combat capability of the North Korean fighters, describing most of them as "inexperienced low-ranking foot soldiers".

Background:

• On 29 October, during a telephone conversation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol agreed to mobilise contacts at every level between their two countries and to step up intelligence sharing in light of Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine.
• On 13 October, Zelenskyy said that North Korea was supplying Russia not only with weapons but also with personnel for its military forces, and called on partners to increase their support for Ukraine. On 14 October, Zelenskyy announced that North Korea had essentially joined the war. On 17 October, Zelenskyy stressed that Russia intends to involve about 10,000 soldiers from North Korea in the war against Ukraine.
• The first North Korean military units that have undergone training at training grounds in eastern Russia have arrived in the war zone. They were spotted in Russia's Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces are conducting an operation, on 23 October.
• On 28 October, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Russia, particularly in Kursk Oblast.

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