North Korean troops have already entered Ukraine, according to two unnamed Western intelligence officials cited by CNN, while thousands more continue training in eastern Russia before deployment to the front lines.

CNN reports that these troops’ presence in Ukraine exceeds previous confirmations from NATO and the Pentagon, which only acknowledged approximately 10,000 North Korean troops training in eastern Russia and moving toward Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

“It seems that a good many of them are already in action,” one Western intelligence official told CNN on 29 October.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, referring to Ukrainian intelligence, that North Korean troops were to begin entering combat zones from 27-28 October.

South Korean intelligence estimates approximately 13,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, higher than US and UK assessments. Many are special forces units, Western sources indicate.

CNN says intelligence officials note that while North Korea believes their troops possess superior combat capabilities compared to regular Russian forces, their military hasn’t engaged in actual warfare for over 70 years.

CNN reports that Russian military communications intercepted by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence on 23 October reveal concerns among Russian troops about commanding and equipping North Korean soldiers.

Related:

• Pentagon: No restrictions on US weapons use against North Korean forces
• South Korean intelligence confirms North Korean troops moved to Russian front lines
• Lithuania demands stronger NATO response to North Korean-Russian cooperation
• South Korea to send delegation to Ukraine this week over North Korean troop presence
• New research estimates North Korean arms supplies to Russia at $5.5 billion