The first North Korean soldiers could arrive in the Kursk region as early as today, to help Russian forces repel the Ukrainian offensive that has been underway in that territory since August 6. This was stated by Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate. Ukraine and South Korea have accused North Korea of sending soldiers to Russia to fight alongside Russian invading forces on Ukrainian territory. However, North Korean forces could limit their military actions to the Kursk region, on Russian territory, where Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive last summer. “We expect the first (North Korean) units tomorrow in the direction of Kursk,” Budanov told the website “The War Zone.” «At the moment it is not clear how many soldiers will be sent or how they will be equipped. We’ll see in a few days,” added the official. The Kursk region in southwestern Russia has been the scene of fighting with Ukrainian troops for more than two months.
Since the start of the offensive on Russian territory, Ukrainian forces have claimed more than two dozen villages, although Russian forces have recaptured some of the lost territory in recent weeks. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a summit in Pyongyang on June 19 on a bilateral partnership that includes a mutual defense clause in the event of “aggression” against either country. Even before then the two countries had given signs of growing military cooperation. In recent months, North Korea has provided Russia with large quantities of weapons and ammunition in exchange for military and economic support. South Korea’s intelligence agency reported last week that North Korea has decided to send about 12,000 troops to support Russia, and that 1,500 North Korean troops have already been sent to Vladivostok for training activities.
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