U.S. Officials: North Korean Troops Gather in Russia’s Kursk Region

Several thousand North Korean soldiers have arrived in the Kursk region of Russia, where they are expected to take part in an upcoming counter-offensive designed to dislodge Ukrainian troops. According to sources, these are soldiers of an elite unit of the Korean People's Army, The New York Times writes, citing officials.

It is noted that the North Korean troops have not yet entered the battle, and it is not yet clear what role they will play. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. Whatever the role of the DPRK soldiers, any significant North Korean troop presence would allow Russia to keep more of its forces in eastern Ukraine, where they could focus on capturing as much of Ukraine as possible before winter sets in, officials said.

According to sources, the first North Korean troops began arriving in the Kursk region on Wednesday, with thousands of DPRK soldiers arriving daily since then. A senior Ukrainian official with knowledge of the troop movements said that about 5,000 North Korean troops are expected to be assembled by Monday.

The troops, according to the officials, are part of an elite unit of the Korean People's Army. They are being flown from Vladivostok on huge Il-76 transport planes to a military airfield in western Russia and then taken to the war zone, a Ukrainian official said.

According to the newspaper, North Korea's troops have not been involved in any war since the 1950s, and there are questions about the capabilities of even its elite units. Even before they reach the battlefield, they will have to face a language barrier, unfamiliar terrain and army customs that may be very different from their own.

If they are sent to the front line in Kursk, they will face battle-hardened Ukrainian forces that Russian forces have been unable to drive out since their surprise invasion in August.

Earlier, on 13 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia and the DPRK were ‘building up their alliance’ and that it was not only about supplying weapons used against Ukraine, but also about ‘transferring people’ to Russian troops. On 14 October, Zelenskyy said that North Korea had ‘actually joined’ the war against Ukraine.

On 14 October, Russian leader Vladimir Putin submitted a draft law to the Russian State Duma on the ratification of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Russia and North Korea. Russia and the DPRK signed this agreement on 19 June 2024. The State Duma ratified the agreement on 24 October.

The head of the Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), Kyryll Budanov, confirms that about 11,000 soldiers from the DPRK are being trained to fight in Ukraine.