Today at 17:30
According to sources in Ukrainian intelligence, the first combat encounter between Ukrainian forces and North Korean military personnel occurred in Russia’s Kursk region, as reported by Financial Times.
A senior official from Ukrainian intelligence confirmed the military actions but refrained from providing specific details regarding this initial clash. It was stated that the incident took place in Kursk, where Ukraine controls approximately 600 square kilometers of territory, slightly more than half of what it held following the summer invasion.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine revealed over the weekend that Russia has supplied the North Korean forces in Kursk with 60mm mortars, rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank guided missiles, and shoulder-launched anti-tank missile systems. Some of these troops have also been equipped with night vision devices and thermal imaging equipment. Additionally, several hundred North Korean special forces personnel have been deployed in Kursk.
Andriy Kovalенко, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, noted in a Telegram post that “the first military units from North Korea have already come under fire in Kursk.”
Ukrainian officials and military analysts are questioning the quality and combat readiness of North Korean troops, many of whom are described as inexperienced soldiers. One official remarked, “We will soon find out how well they can fight.”
Another high-ranking Ukrainian official mentioned that Moscow is already providing Pyongyang with military technologies to support its missile programs, as well as financial assistance.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in the Kremlin. Choe expressed that North Korea “has no doubts that under the wise leadership of esteemed President Vladimir Putin, the Russian army and people will undoubtedly achieve great victories in their sacred struggle for the protection of their sovereign rights and security.”
Putin did not confirm the deployment of North Korean troops but hinted that it falls under the provisions of the security treaty between North Korea and Russia.
Last week, officials from the United States and South Korea corroborated Ukraine’s assessment that about 8,000 North Korean troops had been sent to Kursk last month to assist the Russian army in dislodging Ukrainian forces from the territory they had occupied since August.
High-ranking representatives from Ukrainian intelligence indicated that these troops are stationed in barracks approximately 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and are preparing to engage in combat within “a few days.”
Earlier, the Pentagon confirmed that North Korean troops who had arrived in Russia for training had begun to move toward the Kursk region, with some already present there. According to the latest U.S. estimates, North Korea has dispatched about 10,000 military personnel to Russia for training and participation in combat operations against Ukraine. Sources from CNN suggest that some North Korean soldiers may already be in Ukraine. Ukrainian intelligence reported that in the last week of October, Russia transferred over 7,000 North Korean soldiers to areas near Ukraine.
