Zelensky announces presence of 11 thousand DPRK soldiers in Kursk region
4 November 22:37
According to Ukrainian intelligence, there are already 11,000 North Korean troops in the Kursk region. This was announced during an evening address by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Komersant ukrainskyi reports
Zelensky said that during the reports of the military leadership, the Kursk operation was discussed separately.
“There was also a separate report today by the GUR and the Foreign Intelligence Service on the North Korean military in Russia. There are already 11 thousand in the Kursk region. We see an increase in North Koreans and no increase in the reaction of our partners, unfortunately,” the Head of State said.
The President reminded that it will soon be three months since the beginning of the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region of Russia. Ukrainian defenders keep the “sanitary zone” near the border under control.
“And it is important – we keep this “sanitary zone” in certain areas near our state border. And we must appreciate the importance of this operation – the Kursk operation – for replenishing our exchange fund. This greatly helped the liberation of our people from Russian captivity,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
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 training and will be deployed to the front, according to Defense Intelligence Chief Kirill Budanov, on November 1. 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 biggest 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 phone 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.
on June 19, 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 October 3, 6 North Korean officers who were advising the Russians were killed in Donbas.
