North Koreans training in Russia are now in combat zone: Ukraine Defense Intelligence

North Korean forces have entered the combat zone between Russian and Ukrainian forces for the first time after training at Kremlin military bases, Ukraine’s defense intelligence service said Thursday.

Ukrainian spies spotted the troops, who they said were trained at one of five military sites in east Russia, in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukraine also said the North Korean soldiers are being trained over several weeks and that Moscow intends to use them in the war against Ukraine, according to a statement posted to social media.

The United States on Wednesday confirmed that some 3,000 North Koreans are training in Russia at military sites.

The troops were moved into the former Soviet state between early to mid-October and are now undergoing basic combat training at what they assessed to be three military sites, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.

“We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability,” he said.

Kyiv, however, had much higher estimates, with the General Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine assessing the number of North Korean soldiers in Russia to be about 12,000 people, including 500 officers, three of whom are generals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week said Pyongyang had already sent tactical personnel and officers into Russian-occupied areas of his country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not confirmed or denied his country is training North Korean troops within its borders and appeared to brush aside a question about the development at the BRICS summit Thursday.

Putin said “it was not Russia's actions that led to the escalation” in Ukraine, accusing the West of helping Kyiv fight Moscow.

He also referred to Russia’s "comprehensive strategic partnership" with North Korea, signed by the two countries in June, where both pledged “mutual assistance in case of aggression” against either country.

“We will see how this process develops,” Putin said.

Pyongyang, meanwhile, has claimed reports that its forces are in Russia and may soon enter the war in Ukraine are false.

Ukrainian intelligence notes that Moscow has named Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov to monitor “the training and adaptation” of the North Korean troops. 

“The soldiers sent by Pyongyang are equipped with ammunition, bedding, winter clothes and shoes, as well as hygiene products,” the service said. “The Kremlin has high hopes for the North Korean component in the war against Ukraine and the global confrontation with the West.”