North Korean soldiers 50 km from Ukraine's border, including special forces, FT reports

Around 3,000 North Korean troops that arrived in Kursk Oblast were housed in barracks only 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, the Financial Times reported on Oct. 29, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.

A few hundred of those are special forces, with the rest being regular troops, one source said.

North Korea had sent troops to Russia to participate in its war against Ukraine and deployed them in Kursk Oblast, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Oct. 28. Recent reports suggest that a small number may already be in Ukraine.

U.S. intelligence estimated the number of troops to be around 10,000, while Ukraine put the total number at 12,000.

According to the Financial Times, Ukrainian intelligence officials are skeptical regarding the combat effectiveness of the troops and cite communication issues with their Russian counterparts as a main hurdle Moscow and Pyongyang will have to bridge.

A South Korean delegation will visit Ukraine in the second part of the week to share information on North Korea's troops in Russia and discuss cooperation.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has also been urging China to use its relationship with Pyongyang and apply pressure on North Korea to withdraw its troops from Ukraine's front line, CNN reported on Oct. 29, citing a U.S. official.

North Korea’s entry into the war comes when Russia's long and grinding campaign in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region has dramatically gained pace in recent days, with analysts saying Moscow's forces are advancing at a pace not seen since the early months of the war.

North Korea’s current arms sales to Russia estimated at up to $5.5 billion, Friedrich Naumann Foundation suggests

Because North Korea and Russia do not publish official statistics on the country’s bilateral trade, there is uncertainty. But even the minimum estimate of shipments is over $1.7 billion, the study reads.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

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