Nearly 11,000 North Korean soldiers are training in eastern Russia in preparation for deployment to Ukraine, according to Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate.
In an interview with The War Zone on October 17, Budanov revealed that these troops will be ready to join the war by November 1.
The North Korean forces are reportedly being armed with Russian weapons and ammunition.
The first group, comprising 2,600 soldiers, is expected to be deployed to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been holding ground for months.
The destination of the remaining troops has not yet been confirmed.
This development follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s earlier statement in Brussels, where he confirmed that around 10,000 North Korean soldiers are preparing to fight against Ukraine.
Notably, there have been reports of some North Korean soldiers fleeing their positions along the Russia-Ukraine border, with 18 servicemen deserting between the Bryansk and Kursk regions.
