North Korea has deployed about 10,000 troops for exercises in eastern Russia, of which several thousand have already moved to the Kursk region, near the border with Ukraine. This was announced by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder.
‘As we’ve said before, we believe that the DPRK has sent approximately 10,000 soldiers to train in eastern Russia. These troops are likely to reinforce Russian forces near Ukraine over the next few weeks,’ the official said.
According to him, several thousand North Korean soldiers have already been moved to the Kursk region, although the exact number remains ‘relatively small’.
Ryder expressed concern that Russia could use these troops to fight or support its units against Ukrainian forces. He added that the move reflects a serious personnel shortage in the Russian army.
The Pentagon representative stressed that the involvement of foreign troops, such as the DPRK, indicates Russia’s significant losses at the front, as well as problems with the supply of personnel.
According to Ryder, the United States is closely monitoring the situation and continues to consult closely with Ukraine and its allies.
According to CNN, which cites Western intelligence sources, a ‘small number’ of North Korean troops are already in Ukraine, and their presence is expected to grow as DPRK soldiers trained in Russia head to the front.
