North Korean troops train in Russia amid escalation reports
In the Russian Far East, 3,500 North Korean soldiers are undergoing training. This information was disclosed by South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong Won, based on data from Ukrainian intelligence.
South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong Won reported that 3,500 soldiers from North Korea are receiving training at five military centers in the Russian Far East. Ju shared this information following his visit to Ukraine, where he met with General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence.
Yu Yong Won noted that there is a possibility that a third contingent of North Korean soldiers will be sent to the front. According to the Polish Press Agency, a second contingent, composed of about 1,500 soldiers, has already been deployed in the Kursk region in western Russia after completing adaptive training.
By the end of February, South Korean intelligence confirmed that Pyongyang sent over a thousand military personnel to Russia between the end of January and February, thus supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Losses in the Kursk region
According to Ukrainian intelligence, out of approximately 11,000 soldiers sent to fight in the Kursk region by the end of 2024, available information indicates that 400 were killed, and about 3,600 were wounded. Of the wounded, 300 soldiers recovered and returned to the front.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region in Russia on August 6, 2024. The aim of this offensive was to force the Russians to transfer some forces from Donbas to eastern Ukraine. In January last year, Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers.
At the end of February, South Korean Congressman Yu Yong-weon traveled to Ukraine, where he spoke with North Korean prisoners. After the discussions, he reported that one of them expressed a desire to stay in South Korea. The congressman presented a recording in which this declaration was made.
