Ukrainian officials confirmed last week that the nation’s military engaged North Korean troops for the first time, firing artillery at them along the Kursk border. What’s more, a larger assault is anticipated to occur in the near future, with troops from Pyongyang receive training from the Russian Army.
According to Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation branch of Ukraine’s Security Council, the “small-scale” engagement signaled the first time North Korea has gotten involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War since reports emerged that thousands of soldiers had arrived in Russia to fight alongside Vladimir Putin‘s forces.
Kovalenko expanded on this in an email to Business Insider, saying, “It was an ordinary combat engagement in the Kursk region.” Explaining that the area has been subjected to frequent shelling by Ukrainian soldiers, he added, “An artillery strike was launched against a position where Russians and North Korean military personnel were located.”
Umerov explained to South Korean public broadcaster KBS that North Korean troops have been mixed in with the Russian forces and, as such, they’re being misidentified by their uniforms, which has made identifying casualties difficult on Ukraine’s end. That being said, he estimates that five 3,000-strong North Korean units will soon be deployed to the Kursk region.
US and Ukrainian officials believe that, under a pact with Russia, which was ratified in October 2024, up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers will be sent to fight in the war, with at least 10,000 stationed near the Russo-Ukrainian border by early November.
On November 10, 2024, Western officials reported that a 50,000 strong Russo-North Korean force had assembled in the Kursk region, with the aim of seizing back territory. This assessment adds that the inclusion of North Korean soldiers ultimately gives Russia the ability to keep troops stationed elsewhere, allowing the country’s military to attack on several fronts.
Just two days after, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Putin signed a decree to ratify the Treaty of Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships, with states that both countries will provide immediate military assistance by “all means,” should the other face any type of “aggression.”
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Given the current situation, which continues to evolve, Ukraine anticipates an attack will take place in the coming days or weeks, with training occurring in the far-western Kursk region. Along with being provided Russian uniforms, the North Korean soldiers also been equipped with weapons, such as rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), sniper rifles, machine guns and anti-tank missiles.