Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reported a renewed presence of North Korean troops along the front lines in Russia’s Kursk region, following previous reports indicating their withdrawal due to significant losses. According to South Korean and Western intelligence sources, over 10,000 soldiers from North Korea were dispatched to Russia last year to assist in countering a surprising Ukrainian offensive in this border area.
In a recent communication to the public, a Ukrainian military spokesman disclosed that there had been no notable activity or direct confrontations involving North Korean forces for a period of three weeks. However, Zelensky’s comments on Friday emphasized that there have been fresh assaults in the operational zones around Kursk, suggesting that both the Russian military and North Korean soldiers are again actively engaged.
Zelensky noted that a “significant number” of enemy combatants have been “destroyed” in recent skirmishes, specifying that this figure likely includes “hundreds” of both Russian and North Korean troops.
The backdrop to these developments includes Ukraine’s successful capturing of numerous border settlements in Kursk during an ambitious assault six months ago, marking a historic event as it was the first instance of a foreign army breaching Russian territory since World War II.
The deployment of North Korean forces, although never officially acknowledged by either the Kremlin or the North Korean leadership, aimed to bolster Russian military efforts and aid in the expulsion of Ukrainian forces. Nevertheless, as of February, Ukraine continues to control significant portions of what were previously Russian-held territories, a strategic advantage that Zelensky views as a potential leverage point in any forthcoming discussions with Moscow.
