North Korean troops face first combat in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian official says

Various sources indicate between 8,000-12,000 North Korean soldiers are supporting Russia's war effort.

Nov 4, 2024 - 10:00
North Korean troops face first combat in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian official says

south korean delegation brief nato north troops russia ruler kim jong un visits training base special operations armed forces dprk's army korea's official central news agency released 4 october 2024

North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast have reportedly come under fire for the first time, marking their first combat engagement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, a Ukrainian official reported on 4 November.

South Korea has previously provided non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including mine clearance equipment, while resisting Kyiv’s requests for weapons. Russia has intensified military ties with North Korea since February 2022, securing ballistic missiles, and more than 2 million artillery rounds, with both countries signing a mutual defense pact in June. South Korea previously reported 3,000 North Korean troops training in Russia, with a planned increase to 10,000 by December. Ukraine confirmed initial units have arrived in the Kursk combat zone.

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, reported the engagement on Telegram:

The first D​PRK military personnel have already come under fire in Kursk Oblast,” he wrote, using the acronym for North Korea’s official title, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The official did not provide additional details about the engagement or potential casualties. Other sources have yet to confirm the engagement, and Euromaidan Press was unable to verify this claim.

South Korea considers sending weapons to Ukraine amid North Korean deployment

The reported combat comes amid multiple confirmations of North Korean military presence in Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on 29 October that 3,000 North Korean fighters were on “Russian training grounds in the immediate vicinity of the war zone.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference on 31 October that some 8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) reported last week that approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers, including 500 officers and three generals, have been deployed to Russia. On 2 November, HUR updated that Russia transferred more than 7,000 Pyongyang troops to areas near Ukraine in late October.

The UK Defense Ministry reported on 1 November that around 10,000 D​PRK combat troops are in Russia, adding that some have “almost certainly” deployed to Kursk Oblast.

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