Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. Photo: Dmytro Larin, Ukrainska Pravda.

Budanov: First North Korean troops deploy to Russia’s Kursk Wednesday

October 22, 2024

By Ukraine

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Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov told The War Zone that the first North Korean troops are expected to arrive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast on Wednesday, 23 October, to help defend against a Ukrainian incursion.

The alleged deployment stems from a June agreement between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un pledging mutual defense assistance. Since then, North Korean missile fragments have been found in Ukraine after Russian attacks, and now Pyongyang is providing both weapons and troops—violating UN Security Council resolutions against military cooperation with North Korea.

“We are waiting for the first units tomorrow in the Kursk direction,” Kyrylo Budanov said. It is unclear how many troops will arrive or how they will be equipped. “We will see after a couple of days,” he added.

Seoul is weighing a response, considering sending advisors and heavy weapons to Ukraine following reports of up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers, including elite special operations units, potentially deploying to Russia. Unconfirmed reports also suggest North Korean fighter pilots have been sent.

South Korea could provide Ukraine with the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile system and other defensive weapons, including artillery shells, howitzers, tanks, and multiple-launch rocket systems. This would mark South Korea’s first direct military aid to Ukraine.

According to an anonymous Ukrainian military intelligence officer cited by The Washington Post in early October, “several thousand” North Korean infantry soldiers are currently training in Russia and could deploy to Ukraine by year’s end. North Korean officers are already present in Russian-occupied Ukraine, studying the battlefield.

Recent reports indicate North Korean military officials may have been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike near Russian-occupied Donetsk City.

However, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he couldn’t confirm North Korean soldiers were fighting for Moscow.

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