Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the Main Directorate of Intelligence, sees evidence that North Korean soldiers are being trained for direct participation in combat operations.
The intelligence agency notes that the command of the North Korean army units in Russia has been ordered to cooperate with neighboring Russian units engaged in combat operations in the Kursk Oblast, bordering Ukraine.
The agency considers it likely Russian leadership will soon involve North Korean servicemen in direct assault operations. Fort his reason, they recently received additional food supplies.
Furthermore, on 13 December 2024, units of the North Korean army were put on alert and ordered to wait for further instructions from the Russian military leadership.
Ukraine’s military intelligence notes that some of the North Korean troops are covertly transferred to the front line by civilian trucks that look like water delivery vehicles.
Earlier in December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the first North Korean soldiers deployed in western Russia have been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy noted that approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast. However, he emphasized that Ukraine needs “to have proof” before disclosing the exact number of casualties.
Related:
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- Russia to provide MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters to North Korea in exchange for troops
- US: North Korean troops stationed in Kursk yet to engage in direct combat with Ukrainian forces
- Russian 810th marine brigade from occupied Crimea faces heavy losses in Kursk battles, Russian media Verstka reports
- North Korean troops take up support roles in Russia’s Kursk Oblast
- Ukrainian drone strikes deal first blow to North Korean vehicles supporting Russian army