12 thousand military from North Korea arrive in Kursk region

25 October 00:36

The first units of the DPRK military, which have been trained in Russia, have already arrived in the combat zone in the Kursk region. This was reported by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, according to Komersant UkrainianKomersant Ukrainian

“The first units of military personnel from the DPRK, who have been trained at eastern Russian training grounds, have already arrived in the combat zone of the Russian-Ukrainian war – in particular, on 23 October 2024, their appearance was recorded in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation,” the statement said.

It is stated that the training of DPRK army soldiers takes place at five military training grounds located in the east of Russia – Baranovsky (Ussuriysk), Donguz (Ulan-Ude), Yekaterinoslavsky (Yekaterinoslavka), 248th (Knyazhe-Volkonskoye) and 249th (Sergeevka).

According to intelligence, it takes several weeks to train the North Korean military, which Russia intends to use in the war against Ukraine.

According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the number of North Korean military personnel deployed to Russia is currently around 12,000, including 500 officers, including three generals.

Deputy Minister of Defence Yunus-Bek Yevkurov has been appointed responsible for overseeing the training and adaptation of the DPRK troops.

“The soldiers sent by Pyongyang are provided with ammunition, bedding, winter clothing and footwear, as well as hygiene. In particular, Moscow will provide each North Korean with 50 metres of toilet paper and 300 grams of soap every month, according to the established norms. The Kremlin has high hopes for the North Korean component in the war against Ukraine and the global confrontation with the West,” the DIU added.

Earlier, South Korean intelligence reported that North Korea had decided to send 12,000 special forces soldiers to support Russia, most of whom are already in training and will be deployed to the front, according to the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kirill Budanov, on 1 November. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that this could be “the first step towards a world war”.

North Korea has also reportedly provided Russia with thousands of containers of ammunition. Last month, Kyrylo Budanov called North Korea’s support for the war “the worst problem” Kyiv faces from Moscow’s allies.

The deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is a cause for concern in both South Korea and NATO. During a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol condemned the military alliance and said that South Korea would take “gradual measures” in response to the threats.

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Cooperation between the DPRK and Russia

on 19 June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. During this visit, he signed an agreement on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. After the signing, Putin noted that this agreement provides for assistance in case of aggression against one of the parties. Recently, the agreement was submitted for ratification in the Russian parliament. The agreement explicitly provides for military assistance:

"If one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack by any state or several states and is thus in a state of war, the other party shall immediately provide military and other assistance by all means at its disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."

After the visit, it became known that the DPRK supplies Russia with artillery shells, which it uses in the war against Ukraine. According to The Times, their number is already approaching 3 million, which is half of all the shells that Russia is firing against Ukraine.

The Kyiv Post, citing intelligence sources, reported that on 3 October, 6 North Korean officers who were advising the Russians were killed in Donbas.

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Дзвенислава Карплюк
Editor