NYT: North Korean forces mass in Kursk to help Russia drive Ukraine out

North Korea has deployed several thousand troops to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to Ukrainian and American officials who spoke to The New York Times. The soldiers, reportedly from an elite Korean People’s Army unit, are positioned to join a Russian counteroffensive against Ukrainian forces that have held territory in the region since August.

The arrival of these troops marks a significant escalation in foreign military support for Moscow’s war effort. This unprecedented deployment – moving thousands of North Korean soldiers directly into a potential combat role in a European war – signals both Russia’s growing manpower needs and North Korea’s deepening military alliance with Moscow.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the troops arrived via Vladivostok and were airlifted to western Russia on Il-76 transport planes before moving to the battle zone. A senior Ukrainian official estimates that 5,000 North Korean soldiers will be in position by Monday, with South Korea and Ukraine warning that joint Russian-North Korean training has involved up to 12,000 troops.

While these forces haven’t yet engaged in combat, their presence could allow Russia to maintain its offensive operations in eastern Ukraine as winter approaches. The deployment comes as Russia intensifies its efforts to reclaim several villages in Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces captured approximately 1,000 square kilometers in early August.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russia relocated about 50,000 troops to counter the Kursk offensive. However, according to The New York Times, this Ukrainian strategy to draw Russian forces away from their Donbas offensive, where they continue making slow but steady gains, has shown limited success. Currently, the North Korean deployment appears confined to Kursk Oblast, though their future role remains uncertain.

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