11,000 North Korean soldiers are already in Kursk Oblast – Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that 11,000 DPRK soldiers are already stationed in the Russian Federation's Kursk Oblast, and that Western partners have yet to respond. 

Source: Zelenskyy in an evening video address on 4 November  

Quote: "Today, there was also a separate report from Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and the Foreign Intelligence Service on the North Korean troops in the territory of Russia. There are already 11,000 of them in Kursk Oblast. We are seeing an increase in North Koreans but, unfortunately, not an increase in our partners’ response."

Background:

• Earlier, the Pentagon reported that the North Korean soldiers, who had arrived in Russia for training, had begun to advance towards Kursk Oblast, and some were already there. According to the most recent US estimates, North Korea has sent approximately 10,000 troops to Russia for training and participation in hostilities against Ukraine.
• According to CNN, some North Korean military personnel may already be in Ukraine.
• In the last week of October, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence reported that Russia deployed more than 7,000 North Korean soldiers to areas bordering Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!