Is Russia using DPRK soldiers again in the Kursk region?

^{Photo: AFP}
According to Kiev, North Korean troops have resumed active combat operations in the Kursk region after a break lasting several weeks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his traditional evening video address to his compatriots, as well as in an interview with Reuters.

"There have been new attacks in the areas of the Kursk operation - the Russian army has again attracted North Korean troops," the Ukrainian leader said.

According to Zelensky, "many invaders", including Russian and North Korean soldiers, were destroyed in the battles near Kursk. He added that 60,000 Russian troops have been massed in the Kursk region.

On January 30 of this year, The New York Times reported that North Korean troops had been withdrawn from the front line in the Kursk region after suffering heavy losses. According to the interlocutors of the publication, consisting of Ukrainian and US officials, by this time the DPRK servicemen had not been seen at the front for about two weeks. This information was later confirmed by the Ukrainian special operations forces, as well as South Korean intelligence.

According to the estimates of the General Staff of the Ukrainian army, the total losses of the DPRK contingent in the Kursk region amounted to about 4,000 people: one of the three conditional brigades of the North Koreans was practically destroyed, and two lost their combat capability.

Cooperation between Russia and the DPRK

After the start of the war, Russia and North Korea began to strengthen cooperation in the military sphere. In June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea and signed a comprehensive strategic agreement with Kim Jong-un, which includes mutual support in the event of an attack, as well as cooperation in the face of Western sanctions.

The Ukrainian army captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video of them being interrogated on January 12. During the interrogation, he stressed that he did not know where the North Korean soldiers were and that they were told that this was just a training exercise. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”