Budanov: Russia is preparing 11,000 North Korean soldiers for war against Ukraine

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine announced the involvement of almost 11,000 North Korean soldiers in the war at the same time as the publication of what is likely the first video of their training in Russia. The Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine told The War Zone. "They will be ready [to fight in Ukraine] on Nov.

1," Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told TWZ.

According to the Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the first cadre of 2,600 soldiers will go to the Kursk region to reinforce the group trying to drive out the Ukrainian troops.

M113 armored personnel carriers of the Ukrainian military participating in the Kursk operation. Ukraine, Sumy region. August 2024.

Photo credits: Reuters

LIGA reported, citing sources in the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, that one of the formed battalions of the North Korean military would be part of the 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. It should consist of about 3,000 North Korean citizens. Militarnyi's sources say that the Russian 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade is currently fighting in the Kursk sector.

Its permanent location is in Ulan-Ude. Simultaneously with this statement, a video was posted online today showing the soldiers who look like the North Korean citizens training on the territory of a Russian military unit. In the video, one of the soldiers can be heard shouting, which can be isolated and translated from Korean via Google Translate as "?? ??" or "let's do it now."

Also today, the ATESH resistance movement announced that the Russian artillerymen had allegedly been training to use the North Korean self-propelled artillery systems. The training takes place at the recently reopened Saratov Higher Artillery Command School.

The source did not provide any photo or video evidence of this information.

However, this may be a logical development of the DPRK's military support to Russia, which has already provided its ballistic missiles, missile systems and millions of artillery shells.

An M2018 self-propelled artillery system during a parade in Pyongyang.

Photo credits: KCNA

North Korea has an impressive fleet of artillery systems, which it accumulated in large quantities as the main means of firepower before the advent of serious missile systems.