Russia keeps North Korean soldiers away from direct combat, Ukraine's National Resistance Center claims
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North Korean soldiers have been stationed at observation posts and checkpoints in Russia's Kursk Oblast as a "second echelon" not involved in direct combat, the Ukrainian military-run National Resistance Center reported on Dec. 4.
Pyongyang has dispatched between 10,000-12,000 troops to boost Russia's war in a sign of deepening cooperation between the two countries, deploying the soldiers to the embattled Kursk Oblast.
Subordinated to Russia’s 11th Airborne Assault Brigade, the North Korean forces guard areas where Russian troops are concentrated, the center said. Their deployment has reportedly allowed the Kremlin to reassign more Russian soldiers to front-line positions.
Speaking to Kyodo News, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is treating the first batch of North Korean soldiers well to attract tens of thousands more. At the same time, Zelensky revealed that the first North Korean troops had been killed in the war without revealing the number.
Separately, a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson told the media that 2,000 North Korean troops have been assigned to Russia's Marine and airborne units fighting on the front.
"If they (North Korean troops) have joined units engaged in active hostilities, then we can confidently say that they have joined the fight," spokesperson Andrii Cherniak told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, adding that this might not necessarily mean deployment on front-line positions.
"Maybe they are not in advanced positions, but they enable aggression against Ukraine, ensure the killing of Ukrainian service members."
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also said on Nov. 27 that North Korean forces are "actively supporting" Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
While Umerov did not provide specifics, North Korea supplied Russia with ballistic missiles and artillery shells throughout the full-scale invasion, bolstering Moscow’s military capabilities.
Moscow and Pyongyang signed a strategic partnership agreement in June, pledging to provide military support to one another if either country comes under attack.
