About 11,000 military personnel from North Korea are currently deployed in the Kursk region of Russia. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening address to the nation on 4 November, noting that it will soon be three months since the start of the Ukrainian operation in this region of Russia.
“Today, I received a separate report from the Main Intelligence Directorate and the Foreign Intelligence Service on the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. There are already 11,000 in the Kursk region. We are recording an increase in the contingent from North Korea, but, unfortunately, we do not see a proper response from international partners,” Zelenskyy said.
The President emphasised the importance of the Ukrainian operation in Kursk region, where Ukrainian defenders are holding the so-called “sanitary zone” along the border. Zelenskyy noted that this zone is of great importance for Ukraine’s security.
“Maintaining this ‘sanitary zone’ in certain areas near our border is extremely important. The Kursk operation contributes to the creation of an additional exchange fund, which greatly helps the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russian captivity,” Zelenskyy stressed.
Against the backdrop of the growing presence of North Korean troops in the Russian Federation, Ukraine calls on the international community to provide more active support and take decisive steps against escalation by Russia and its allies.
