Sun Oct 20 15:20:00 UTC 2024: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that intelligence reports indicate North Korea is preparing to send 10,000 troops to join Russian forces in Ukraine. This follows the release of a video by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications, allegedly showing North Korean recruits receiving Russian military uniforms, marking their involvement in the conflict.
Key points include:
– The video was obtained by Ukrainian officials and shows North Koreans being issued Russian military attire; however, its authenticity has not been independently verified.
– Ukrainian military intelligence estimates that approximately 11,000 North Korean troops are currently training in eastern Russia and could be ready for combat by November, with some slated for deployment in Russia’s Kursk region.
– Ukrainian officials emphasize the need for additional military support from the international community to counter this new threat, highlighting increased military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, solidified by a strategic partnership treaty signed last summer.
– The presence of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine represents an escalation in military ties between the two nations, with North Korean arms already reported to have been used in the conflict.
First Piper 