On Saturday, December 14th, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that Russia has begun deploying a large number of North Korean troops to launch an attack on Ukrainian forces defending an enclave in the Kursk region of Russia.
According to Reuters, Zelensky remarked that Russia’s increased use of North Korean troops represents a new escalation in the conflict, and he called for a global response.
“We have preliminary data today indicating that Russia has started deploying North Korean soldiers for attacks, and the numbers are quite substantial,” Zelensky said during his daily wartime address.
He mentioned that the North Korean troops are currently operating as part of Russia’s joint forces and are only engaged in combat on the Kursk frontline. Zelensky added, “We have intelligence suggesting that they (North Korean soldiers) may expand to other areas on the frontline.”
Earlier, Ukraine reported that North Korean troops appeared in the Kursk region of Russia in October, with several unspecified conflicts and casualties subsequently reported. It is estimated that North Korea has around 11,000 soldiers in the Kursk region, while the Russian forces number in the tens of thousands.
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Korean troops within its territory.
Currently, nearly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory is occupied by Russian forces. In August of this year, Ukraine entered and established an enclave in western Kursk, proposing it as a bargaining chip for peace talks to end the war.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported a significant increase in attacks by Russia on the Kursk frontline, including air raids, glide bomb strikes, and over two hundred artillery shelling incidents. Andrii Kovalenko, a member of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Committee, stated that North Korean soldiers have suffered losses, but did not provide specific figures.
“Russia is relying on numbers and attempting attacks with the help of North Korean soldiers, whose mission is to evade our forces’ strikes and occupy certain areas,” Kovalenko wrote on Telegram.
Zelensky expressed dissatisfaction with the escalating situation and condemned North Korea’s role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“Essentially, the Moscow authorities have dragged another country into this war, and the level of involvement has reached a limit. If this isn’t considered escalation, then what is all this talk about escalation by so many people?” he remarked.
He urged allies to strengthen their support for Ukraine and announced plans to discuss the matter with major European countries next week.
Zelensky is scheduled to attend a meeting with leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, NATO, and the EU in Brussels next Wednesday.