The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said that currently about 11,000 North Korean soldiers are training in the east of Russia to begin actively participating in the war on November 1. The first detachment of 2,600 people will go to Kursk, where Ukraine has created a bridgehead for conducting intensive combat operations.
This information was also confirmed by South Korean intelligence. According to their estimates, North Korea sent 12,000 of its soldiers, including a special forces unit, to help Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he could not confirm the reports, but if they were true, such a move would cause serious concern.
The President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Jerry Connolly, pointed out that Russia’s involvement of North Korean soldiers shows its weakness.
On the other hand, for North Korea, participation in the war is an opportunity to gain combat experience that its military lacks.