First North Korea troops expected to arrive in Kursk Wednesday: report

The first North Korean troops are expected to arrive in Russia’s Kursk region on Wednesday to help Russian forces battling Ukrainian invaders there, media reported, underscoring increasing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Ukraine and South Korea have accused North Korea of deploying troops to aid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort, which both North Korea and Russia deny.

“We are waiting for the first units tomorrow in the Kursk direction,” Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate, told The War Zone website on Tuesday.

“It is unclear at the moment how many or how they will be equipped. We will see after a couple of days,” he added.

Russia’s southwestern Kursk region has been engulfed in battles with Ukraine’s troops for over two months. Ukraine says it has captured more than two dozen Kursk settlements since launching its surprise incursion on Aug. 6.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s President Valdimir Putin agreed on a partnership at a summit in Pyongyang on June 19 that included a mutual defense clause in case of “aggression” against either country.

Even before that there were signs of growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

Over the past year, there has been widespread suspicion that North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine – now approaching its third year – in exchange for military and economic support.

South Korea’s intelligence agency reported on Friday that North Korea had decided to send about 12,000 troops to support Russia, with 1,500 soldiers already sent to Vladivostok for training.

Additionally, reports suggest North Korean fighter pilots may have been deployed to Russia to operate combat aircraft, potentially addressing Russia’s pilot shortages. North Korean munitions factories are also believed to be running at full capacity, producing weapons both for export and internal use, according to South Korean officials.

South Korea summons Russian envoy to urge it to stop North Korean Ukraine involvement

North Korea sending troops to aid Russia in Ukraine war: South’s spy agency

British Defence Secretary John Healey said on Tuesday it was “highly likely” North Korea has begun sending hundreds of troops to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, now in its third year.

Russia has denied that, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing the reports as “fake news.” A North Korean representative to the United Nations labeled them as “groundless rumors,” insisting the North’s cooperation with Russia was “legitimate and cooperative.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that the involvement of North Korean troops could significantly escalate the conflict, and the South’s presidential office said Seoul might consider supplying weapons to Ukraine as a countermeasure against the developing military ties between North Korea and Russia.

In Washington, a top U.S. diplomat indicated that consultations with allies were underway regarding the implications of North Korean involvement, calling it a “dangerous and highly concerning development” if proven true.

Last Monday, Putin reportedly submitted a bill to parliament to ratify a treaty elevating relations with North Korea to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as agreed by the leaders at their June summit.

Edited by Mike Firn.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Taejun Kang for RFA.

This post was originally published on Radio Free.