North Korean troops joining Russian assaults in Kursk, Zelensky says

A "significant number" of North Korean soldiers have begun fighting alongside Russian forces in assault operations in Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Dec. 14.

Ukrainian and Western officials in fall 2024 warned that over 10,000 North Korean troops had amassed in Kursk Oblast, ready to aid Russia's attempt to oust Ukrainian forces in the region. The move represents an unprecedented escalation in Russia's war against Ukraine.

"Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults — a significant number of them," Zelensky said in a video address.

"The Russians include them in combined units and use them in operations in Kursk Oblast."

North Korean troops have not yet joined Russian forces in any other areas of the front, but this could change, Zelensky said.

Zelensky also reported that North Korean units have sustained "noticeable losses."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has "dragged another state into this war," Zelensky said.

"And if this is not escalation, then what is the escalation that so many have been talking about?"

The first clashes between North Korean and Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast were reported in early November. Zelensky reported on Dec. 1 that North Korean soldiers had already been killed fighting for Russia, but did not specify figures.

Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened their alliance over the course of the full-scale war. The two nations signed a defense treaty in June, requiring either state to render military aid to the other in the event of an attack.

North Korea has reportedly provided Russia with over 100 ballistic missiles and 5 million artillery shells. In exchange, Moscow has allegedly given Pyongyang economic support and assistance with its nuclear weapons program.

Ukrainain forces launched a shock offensive into Kursk Oblast in August. Russia began a counterattack in September and has reportedly taken back 40% of the territory initially captured by Ukraine.

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The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell