In Russia’s far east, North Korean soldiers are reportedly being trained to fight in the war against Ukraine. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian intelligence, has said that more than 10,000 North Korean troops will not only assist and train Russian forces, but also fight alongside them – starting next month. At least 2,600 of these troops could be deployed in Russia’s Kursk region, to free up Russian soldiers to join Vladimir Putin’s offensive in the Donbas.
Zelensky said this means North Korea has ‘effectively joined’ the war
South Korea’s spy agency reports that North Korea is sending 12,000 men from four brigades, including elite special forces, to join the war in Ukraine, with deployment already in progress. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said this means that North Korea has ‘effectively joined’ the war. Nearly half of all the artillery shells used by Russia in Ukraine are supplied by North Korea. Kim Jong Un has also sent KN-23 ballistic missiles to Russia in exchange for military technology for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
This week, Putin submitted a draft law to the State Duma, one of the lower chambers in the Russian parliament, to ratify a strategic partnership agreement between Moscow and North Korea.
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