North Korean troops are expected to arrive in Kursk Oblast on Oct. 23 to support the Russian military against Ukraine’s incursion in the region, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), told the War Zone on Oct. 22.
“We are waiting for the first units tomorrow in the Kursk direction,” Budanov said, though he did not specify how many would be deployed.
“We will see after a couple of days.”
Budanov’s statement follows reports that Moscow is planning to involve Pyongyang in the full-scale war against Ukraine in the coming months, with around 10,000 North Korean soldiers preparing to join the Russian army.
Budanov said earlier in October that the first group of 2,600 soldiers would be deployed to Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incursion in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.
North Korea has denied sending troops to join Russia’s war in Ukraine, calling the recent reports “groundless rumors.” Despite the denials, reports of increased military involvement continue to mount.
A military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 21 that Russian authorities detained 18 North Korean soldiers who abandoned their positions in Kursk Oblast. Video footage has also circulated purporting to show North Korean troops at a Russian military training camp.
South Korean media reported on Oct. 22 that Pyongyang has dispatched pilots who can fly Russian warplanes to join the war in Ukraine. A government source in Seoul also said that South Korea is considering sending personnel to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Oct. 22 that two North Korean military units of up to 6,000 personnel each are currently undergoing training for the front.
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