Russia deploys 7,000 North Korean troops near Ukraine border

According to Ukrainian military intelligence, during the last week of October, Russia relocated over 7,000 North Korean soldiers to border areas near Ukraine.

Ukrainian sources report that the North Korean soldiers were transported using at least 28 military transport aircraft.

According to the Ukrainska Pravda portal, Moscow has equipped them with 60 mm mortars, AK-12 assault rifles, PK machine guns, Dragunov and Chukavin sniper rifles, Phoenix anti-tank missile systems, and anti-tank grenade launchers. They have also received night vision devices, thermal imagers, collimator sights, and binoculars.

"What has Moscow armed the North Korean troops deployed on the border with Ukraine?" asks the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Intelligence.

North Korean soldiers are being trained at five training grounds in the Russian Far East. Russia plans to engage them in frontline activities against Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine will conduct a preemptive strike against thousands of North Korean soldiers; however, this requires long-range weapons.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Western allies on Friday to stop "watching" and take action to address the issue of North Korean troops in Russia before they begin fighting Ukrainian soldiers.

In a video published on Telegram, Zelensky stated that North Korea has made progress in developing military potential, missile deployment, and weapons production, and "now, unfortunately, wants to learn modern warfare art."

"The first thousands of soldiers from North Korea are near the border with Ukraine. Ukrainians will be forced to defend themselves against them. And the world will again watch," said Zelensky.