North Korean military sent to battle in Kursk region

North Korean troops have engaged Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kursk region. Some military officials report that North Korean units have already engaged the Ukrainian Defense Forces units, using the tactic of a mass infantry assault in open terrain. The offensive was carried out by infantry platoons of 20-30 people, which were fired upon by the artillery of the Defense Forces.

According to the DIU, the Russians are currently preparing Korean soldiers for direct participation in battles at the positions of the Ukrainian military in the Kursk region.

Military comments on the beginning of the use of the DPRK military in assaults in the Kursk region. Photo credits: Dugout cat/Paradise Mouse

North Korean units have been ordered to join forces with adjacent Russian units involved in clashes with the defense forces. The deployment of military personnel to the front is carried out with the use of civilian vehicles, namely trucks that resemble water delivery vehicles.

In addition, on December 13, 2024, according to intelligence, a contingent of the North Korean military was put on high alert with orders to await further instructions. "The aggressor state will soon involve DPRK soldiers in direct assault operations. They have recently received additional food supplies," the DIU officials noted.

North Korean soldiers during the parade.

Photo credits: BBC

Earlier, Militarnyi reported on the involvement of the Korean military in combat operations in the Kharkiv region. However, this information was not confirmed by the intelligence of the Charter Brigade, which did not record North Korean military in its area in the Kharkiv region at the time. Nevertheless, Bloomberg reported that the North Korean government might gradually involve a group of troops of up to 100,000 troops in the war against Ukraine if the partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow continues to deepen.

Bloomberg noted that such a move was not inevitable, and that military support of that magnitude, if it occurs, is likely to be provided on a rotational basis rather than in a single deployment.

In turn, Ukraine's Ambassador to South Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko, made his own assessment in early November.

In an interview with the Voice of America, he said that Kyiv expected up to 15,000 North Korean troops to rotate every few months.