Intelligence reports indicate that 2,000 North Korean troops deployed to Ukraine have joined Russian military units and are actively engaged in combat operations on the front lines.
According to Ukrainian sources, including the Kyiv Post, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), stated on Tuesday that 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been integrated into Russia’s Marine Brigade and Airborne Division. These troops actively participate in combat operations, while an additional 9,000 remain on standby as reserve forces. Zagorodnyuk emphasized that while they may not be on the immediate front lines, they are still contributing to the aggression against Ukraine and the loss of Ukrainian lives.
Previously, Anatoliy Barhylevych, Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, disclosed that over 11,000 North Korean troops had been stationed in Russia’s Kursk region, with some already engaging in combat with Ukrainian forces.
The Defense Ministry’s intelligence branch reports that three North Korean generals command these troops. Zagorodnyuk noted that they operate under strict secrecy and high-level security measures, with training conducted in isolated, closed camps.
In October, Ukrainian authorities identified three North Korean generals accompanying the deployed troops: Kim Yong Bok, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army; Li Qiang, head of the reconnaissance department; and Major General Shin Geum Cheol of the People’s Army.
The Kyiv Post, citing Defense Ministry intelligence, reported that six North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike. Additionally, 18 North Korean soldiers reportedly deserted near the front lines close to the Ukrainian border.
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