Arrival of North Korean Troops in Russia’s Kursk Region
In a significant development on the Eastern European front, several thousand soldiers from North Korea have reportedly arrived in the western Kursk region of Russia. According to sources including one Ukrainian official and two American officials who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, these troops are anticipated to partake in an upcoming counteroffensive aimed at dislodging Ukrainian forces that have occupied parts of the region since August.
Although the North Korean troops have not yet engaged in combat, the precise nature of their involvement remains uncertain. However, officials believe that the deployment of a considerable number of North Korean soldiers could enable Russia to allocate more of its military resources to the eastern front, where the focus is on seizing additional Ukrainian territory ahead of the impending harsh winter conditions.
For weeks, both the South Korean and Ukrainian governments have issued warnings regarding the training of thousands of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian forces. Ukrainian estimates suggest that the number could be as high as 12,000 troops. Recently, U.S. officials corroborated these claims, confirming the transportation of a contingent of North Korean troops by ship to Vladivostok, a major Russian port city on the Pacific coast. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III described this development as a “very, very serious” escalation in the ongoing conflict.
As of Wednesday, the first batch of North Korean troops began the arduous journey, spanning nearly 4,000 miles, to the Kursk region. Reports indicate that thousands more have been arriving daily since then. A senior Ukrainian official, familiar with the troop movements, has indicated that by Monday, as many as 5,000 North Korean soldiers could be fully assembled in the area.
These troops are said to belong to an elite unit within the Korean People’s Army. The logistical operations involve transporting them from Vladivostok via large Il-76 military transport planes to a designated airfield in western Russia, followed by ground transportation to the active conflict zone, as detailed by the Ukrainian official.
However, there are mixed signals regarding the potential for additional North Korean troops to be deployed directly to Ukrainian territory. At this stage, the focus appears to be solely on consolidating their forces within the Kursk region.
