North Korean soldiers have already engaged in battles against Ukrainian Armed Forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast
Ukraine’s General Staff has reported that over 11,000 North Korean military personnel are stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast and they have participated in combat against Ukraine's defence forces.
Source: Radio Svoboda, citing Anatolii Barhylevych, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast
Details: Barylevych also clarified what the North Korean military personnel, whom Russia has already deployed to Kursk Oblast, represent.
Quote from Barhylevych: "These are mostly general military units.
They are disguised as the indigenous population of the Far East. They also have appropriate documents and are trained to conduct operations in the European part."
Previously: South Korea's National Intelligence stated that North Korean soldiers, who were previously sent to Russia, are now in Kursk Oblast and are "already engaging in combat" operations against Ukraine.
Bloomberg reported that North Korea could send up to 100,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine.
Background:
- On 7 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast, Russia, have already suffered losses.
- A record number of North Korean citizens arrived in Russia in the third quarter of 2024, citing "training" as their reason for travel amid reports of North Korean troops being deployed to participate in the war against Ukraine.
- The US Department of State said that Russia's success on the battlefield using the North Korean military will depend on the level of their integration into the Russian army.
- Last week, two US officials confirmed that North Korean troops were involved in combat operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast for the first time.
- The New York Times reported that 50,000 Russian and North Korean soldiers are preparing to launch a large-scale counteroffensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
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