North Korean soldiers march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Sept. 9, 2018. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)
THE KYIV INDEPENDENT |
Published October 30, 2024
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.
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SOURCE: www.kyivindependent.com
RELATED: North Korean troops in Russia: How will it impact the Ukraine war?
The US says it will not impose new limits on Ukraine’s use of its weapons if North Korea joins Russia’s war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend a state reception after talks in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024 [Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP]
ALJAZEERA |
Published October 29, 2024
The US says it will not impose new limits on Ukraine’s use of its weapons if North Korea joins Russia’s war.
The United States says an estimated 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed in Russia as the NATO chief calls the move “a significant escalation” in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Pentagon said on Monday that it is “increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat” in Kursk, a Russian region on the border with Ukraine that was invaded by Kyiv’s forces in August.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said: “The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.”
Ukraine, supported by Western arms shipments, has been battling Russian forces since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of the Eastern European nation in February 2022. Russia has since captured parts of eastern and southern Ukraine and has made military gains in recent months.
So what impact could the possible presence of North Korean troops in Russia have on the Ukraine war?
What do we know about the North Korean deployment?
The Pentagon and NATO are not the first to confirm the North Korean military presence in Russia. Days before, Ukrainian intelligence said it had recorded the presence of Pyongyang’s soldiers in the Kursk region.
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SOURCE: www.aljazeera.com
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