Russian troops wary as North Korean soldiers join battle
Some Russian soldiers are hesitant to accept soldiers from North Korea, who are expected to join the fight against Ukraine in the Kursk region in the coming days, CNN reports, citing intercepted communications obtained by Ukrainian intelligence.
11:01 AM EDT, October 25, 2024
According to CNN, Ukrainian intelligence intercepted encrypted Russian communications on the night of October 22. The conversations reveal that Russian military personnel speak disdainfully about the North Korean recruits, referring to them disparagingly as "Chinese" and questioning what to do with them.
Analysis of the intercepted documents indicates that North Korean troops were planned to move on Thursday morning to a field camp in the town of Postoyalye Dvory in the Kursk region. This territory borders Ukraine, where a Ukrainian offensive has been ongoing since August.
North Korea sends soldiers; Russians have concerns
Russian soldiers also expressed concerns regarding the command of the so-called Battalion K and the provision of equipment and ammunition to the North Korean soldiers. Recordings indicate that for every 30 North Korean soldiers, there is one interpreter and three Russian officers. "The only thing I don’t understand is that there [should be] three senior officers for 30 people. Where do we get them? We’ll have to pull them out," one of the military personnel is heard saying in the conversation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that he received a report from the supreme commander about the deployment of North Korean soldiers. The report indicates that they would be integrated into the fighting in the Kursk region on Sunday or Monday.
On the same day, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office announced the opening of an investigation to determine whether North Korea's support for Russia in the war constitutes an act of aggression.
