Western intelligence officials have reported that some North Korean troops deployed to Russia have already crossed into Ukraine.
CNN reported on Tuesday, referencing multiple Western intelligence sources, that a small contingent of North Korean troops is already present in Ukraine. Officials expect this number to increase as North Korean soldiers complete their training in eastern Russia and advance toward the front lines. According to the report, one official noted that many appear actively engaged in combat.
Previously, on Tuesday (KST), South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) indicated in a closed-door parliamentary audit that some North Korean troops may have advanced to the front lines.
The NIS stated, “We cannot definitively confirm their movement yet,” but acknowledged the possibility that North Korean troops are training in the Kursk theater. Alongside the NIS, the U.S. Department of Defense estimates that North Korea has deployed approximately 10,000 troops to Russia.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Jonas Ohman, representative of Blue/Yellow (a Lithuanian non-profit organization), mentioned on a local broadcast that the first physical encounter between the Ukrainian military units they support and North Korean troops occurred on October 25 in Kursk. As far as he knows, all North Korean troops were killed except one.
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