Russia using ‘significant number’ of North Korean troops to storm Kursk, Ukraine says
Zelensky called it a new escalation and says there is information suggesting the soldiers could be sent to other parts of the front line
Russia has begun using North Korean troops in significant numbers for the first time to conduct assaults on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.
The Ukrainian leader said the more active use of the troops was a new escalation in the war and called for a global response, as Donald Trump’s return to the White House next month fuels speculation of a coming push for peace talks.
“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 told Ukrainians in his daily wartime address.
The North Koreans were being used in combined Russian units and only on the Kursk front for now, he said, adding: “We have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the front line.”
Kyiv first said North Korean forces turned up in Russia’s Kursk region in October and later reported unspecified clashes and casualties. It estimates there are 11,000 North Koreans in total, adding to a force of tens of thousands of Russians.
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Koreans on its side.
02:07
Ukraine releases video purportedly showing North Korean soldiers in Russia
