First North Korean troops reach Russia's border near Ukraine, reports say

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First North Korean troops reach Russia's border near Ukraine, reports say

Published: 25 Oct. 2024, 10:16

The border region of Kursk, western Russia. [AFP/YONHAP]

The first batch of North Korean troops sent to Russia to support its war in Ukraine has arrived in Russia's western border region near Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media Friday.

The North Korean military unit was spotted Wednesday (local time) in the "war zones" in Russia's Kursk region, where the Ukrainian forces have been conducting operations since they launched an incursion in August, Ukrainska Pravda and other news outlets have reported, citing Ukrainian intelligence sources.

The reported deployment came after South Korea and the United States confirmed the North has sent at least 3,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine. Seoul's spy agency said the number of soldiers is expected to reach 10,000 by December.

Reports said that the North Korean troops underwent training at five military training sites in Russia's eastern region.

The reports quoted the intelligence sources as claiming that around 12,000 North Korean soldiers are being deployed to Russia, including 500 officers and three generals.

The reports also said that the North Korean troops are under the command of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, in charge of overseeing the training and the troop's adaptation.

The soldiers are being provided with ammunition, bedding, winter clothes and hygiene products, including 50 meters of toilet paper and 300 grams of soap every month, the reports said.

On Thursday, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that around 2,000 North Korean soldiers were moving to western Russia after completing the training, citing a Ukrainian military source.

Yonhap