North Korean soldiers fight alongside Russians in Kursk Oblast

North Korean troops have entered combat operations alongside Russian forces in Ukraine’s Kursk Oblast, according to separate confirmations from South Korean and US intelligence sources.

The story about North Korean troops engaged in the Russian army started in October when Ukrainian intelligence reported that approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers were training in eastern Russia for potential combat operations against Ukraine. South Korean intelligence and later Western intelligence have confirmed Russia’s preparation of North Korean special forces for deployment in Ukraine.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported on 13 November that North Korean soldiers are actively participating in combat operations after completing their training and staged deployment over the past two weeks.

“The North Korean troops deployed to Russia” are now engaged in battlefield operations, the NIS assessment states.

US State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on 12 November that “over 10,000 North Korean troops” initially deployed to eastern Russia before moving to western Kursk Oblast, where they “have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces.”

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) had previously assessed the presence of North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast on 5 November, based on reports from Ukrainian intelligence and statements by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

US Congressman Mike Turner said that the US and NATO should allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia in response to North Korean troop deployment.

The Pentagon announced on 28 October that Ukraine would face no new restrictions on using US-supplied weapons against North Korean forces should they engage in combat operations against Ukrainian troops

Except for soldiers, North Korea has supplied Moscow with at least 11,000 containers of ammunition, including approximately two million artillery rounds since 2023.

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