North Korean soldiers train in Russia amid escalating tensions
Approximately 3,500 soldiers from North Korea are undergoing training in Russia, disclosed South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong Won, citing Ukrainian intelligence data.
According to Ukrainian intelligence data, 3,500 soldiers from North Korea are currently undergoing training in five military centres in Russia's Far East.
New contingents on the front
Yu Yong Won, a member of the ruling People's Power Party, shared the latest reports on North Korean soldiers after his visit to Ukraine, where he met General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence.
"There is a possibility that a third contingent of North Korean soldiers will be sent to the front," noted the South Korean lawmaker in his statement.
The second contingent, comprising about 1,500 soldiers, has already been deployed in the Kursk region in western Russia after completing adaptation training. South Korean intelligence services confirmed that Pyongyang sent "over one thousand" military personnel to Russia at the end of January and the beginning of February, thus supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Yu, citing Ukrainian intelligence, also reported that out of the approximately 11,000 soldiers sent to fight in the Kursk region by the end of 2024, 400 were killed, and approximately 3,600 were wounded. Out of this number, 300 soldiers have recovered and returned to the front.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on 6th August 2024. The goal of this offensive was to force the Russians to redeploy part of their forces from the Donbas to eastern Ukraine.
