Russia deploys North Korean mercenaries at checkpoints in Kursk region

This was reported by the Center for National Resistance.

According to the report, DPRK soldiers have been subordinated to the 11th Airborne Assault Brigade. Currently, they are assigned to duties at observation posts and checkpoints, as well as guarding areas where Russian troops are concentrated.

"Direct involvement of mercenaries in combat operations is not happening at this stage," the report stated.

The Center added that deploying North Korean personnel allows the Kremlin to pull more Russian soldiers from these positions and send them to the front lines.

What is known about Russia-DPRK military cooperation

On October 4, the Kyiv Post reported a missile strike in occupied Donetsk killed 20 personnel, including six North Korean military advisors consulting with Russian forces.

On October 22, reports surfaced that North Korea had sent not only infantry but also military pilots to Russia. Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov confirmed that North Korean fighters were expected to arrive in the Kursk region.

On October 28, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the presence of DPRK military personnel in Kursk, calling it a “serious escalation” of North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s illegal war.

President Zelenskyy stated that Russia was already using North Korean troops in Ukraine, estimating up to 12,000 DPRK soldiers could be deployed to Russian training grounds.

On October 31, reports indicated that three North Korean generals had arrived in Russia, including the deputy chief of the DPRK General Staff and head of its main intelligence agency.

On November 1, President Zelenskyy announced that thousands of North Korean troops were near the Ukrainian border. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence later reported that over 7,000 DPRK soldiers had been transferred to areas near Ukraine in late October.

Subsequently, over 11,000 additional DPRK troops were deployed to Kursk, according to Zelenskyy. On November 5, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the first clashes between Ukrainian forces and North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Anatoliy Barhilevych also confirmed these battles.

The Financial Times reported that a North Korean general was wounded by Ukrainian forces in Kursk.