Recent events in the Kursk region of Russia have evidence of a new stage in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. According to Ukrainian intelligence, there was the first fighting of the Ukrainian military with the forces of North Korea. This information, provided by high-ranking officials, was published by Financial Times, as well as confirmed by Ukrainian sources, including notification on the Telegram-channel of the Center for Anti-Humanias at the NSDC.
Despite the limited number of specific data, it became known that the North Korean units participated in the collision, including special forces servicemen, armed with modern equipment, including night vision devices and thermal imagers. According to Ukrainian intelligence, hundreds of North Korea's military are already in Kursk and ready for further fighting.
The head of the Center for Combating Misinformation Andriy Kovalenko noted that the first units of the DPRK had already been fired in Kursk. Despite the growing tension, Ukrainian military analysts call into question the combat capability and professionalism of North Korean soldiers. According to them, most of them are insufficiently prepared for difficult combat conditions, which only impairs their ability to actively participate in hostilities.
The meeting of Volodymyr Putin with the Foreign Minister of the DPRK Choe Choe-Hui, which took place in the Kremlin, became an important signal about a strong relationship between Moscow and Pyongyan. The North Korean diplomat assured in support of the actions of the Russian army, remembering that under the leadership of Putin, Russia would inevitably win in its "sacred struggle".
Although Putin did not formally confirmed the presence of the North Korean military in Kursk, he hinted that such cooperation is possible on the basis of the current security agreement between the Russian Federation and the DPRK.
Last week, US and South Korean officials supported Ukrainian statements, stating that in October, about 8,000 soldiers from the DPRK arrived in Kursk to help the Russian forces in deterring the Ukrainian offensive. Currently, these units are located in barracks about 50 km from the Ukrainian border, preparing for active action.
Ukraine controls about 600 square meters. km of the territory in the Kursk region, which is more than half of the territory, which the Ukrainian forces were held after a summer offensive. Therefore, in the coming days you should expect new clashes that can increase tension in the region.
The entry of the North Korean military to the conflict on the side of Russia can cause new geopolitical challenges and influence the dynamics of military operations in the region. However, given the limited combat capability of the North Korean units, analysts express doubts about their efficiency in difficult combat.
