Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Moscow had started involving “a noticeable number” of North Korean troops in its efforts to drive Ukrainian troops out of Russia’s Kursk region.
Ukrainian troops began their incursion into the Kursk region in August and still control some settlements there, part of Kyiv’s attempt to relieve pressure on its forces in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has been making steady advances.
Zelenskyy On Kursk
“Today there is already preliminary data that the Russians have begun using soldiers from North Korea in the assaults – a noticeable number,” Zelenskyy said in his regular address to the nation.
“The Russians include them in consolidated units and use them in operations in the Kursk region. For now, it is only there.”
Zelenskyy said the North Korean troops’ participation in the operations in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, amounted to a new escalation in the nearly 34-month-old war.
Ukraine would continue to defend itself, including against the North Korean troops, Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian and South Korean officials have previously said that more than 10,000 North Korean troops were in Russia.
Incursion Into Kursk
It’s speculated that the North Koreans could be deployed in defensive roles, holding already captured positions, thereby freeing up Russian troops for offensive operations. This may well be Russia’s intention given the build up of forces opposite Ukrainian-held Kursk.
Ukrainian troops incursion into Kursk in August lead to them taking a number of settlements under control. This is the first such deployment onto Russian territory since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin was taking steps to expand and continue the war.
He issued a fresh appeal to Ukraine’s Western allies to strengthen their support for Kyiv, saying that he would discuss it with European partners next week.
Zelenskiy plans to attend a meeting with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, NATO, and the EU in Brussels on Wednesday.
(with inputs from Reuters)
