Kyodo: 2,000 North Korean soldiers move to Russia’s Kursk Oblast near Ukraine, Ukrainian military source says

Around 2,000 North Korean troops are relocating to western Russia near the Ukrainian border after completing their training, a Ukrainian military source told Kyodo News on 24 October.

A day earlier, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers were transported by ship from North Korea’s Wonsan area ia Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East between early and mid-October 2024. He noted that it remains unclear whether these soldiers would engage in combat with Russian forces against Ukraine after completing their training at three different locations.

The Ukrainian military source revealed to Kyodo News that North Korean military officers entered Russia’s western Kursk region earlier this month as an advance team. This team, comprising approximately 10 officers, is preparing for the arrival of soldiers in an area where Ukraine is conducting cross-border attacks.

Kyodo News reports that Ukrainian authorities tracked these movements through satellite data, intercepted communications, and intelligence from within the Russian military.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed that Pyongyang deployed more than 3,000 troops to Russia by 23 October, with plans to increase this number to approximately 10,000 in December.

Russia, facing manpower shortages after losses in Ukraine, recruits foreign mercenaries across the world and local volunteers. Additionally, the Russian Army converts units from various branches into infantry.

The arrival of North Korean soldiers in Russia, potentially to reinforce forces fighting against Ukraine, may be tied to the “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty” signed by Pyongyang and Moscow in June.

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