About 8 thousand DPRK troops redeployed to Kursk region - Blinken
There are approximately 8,000 North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
This was announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.
"According to our estimates, there are about 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia, and, according to the latest data, up to 8,000 of them have been redeployed to the Kursk region. We have not yet seen these troops take part in combat operations against Ukrainian troops, but we expect this to happen in the coming days," Blinken said.
According to him, Russia is also training DPRK soldiers in artillery, UAVs, and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, which "indicates that it fully intends to use these forces in frontline operations."
Participation of DPRK troops in Russia's war against Ukraine
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed Russia's involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine.
On October 25, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that, according to intelligence, the first North Korean military would be used by Russia in combat zones on October 27-28.
On October 28, the Pentagon said that the DPRK had sent about 10,000 of its military to Russia for training and further participation in hostilities against Ukraine, which would take place over the next "few weeks."
The Pentagon said that Ukrainian troops could use the American weapons provided to them against the North Korean military if the DPRK enters the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said that approximately several thousand North Korean soldiers are moving towards the Kursk region of Russia. A smaller number of them are already in the Kursk region.
