The Russian military has formed a group of 50,000 people, including North Korean troops, to prepare an offensive to regain territory in the Kursk region. UNN writes with reference to The New York Times.
According to a new U.S. estimate, Russia has built up a force of 50,000 troops along with North Korean forces, without withdrawing from eastern Ukraine, which remains its top military priority, allowing Moscow to fight on several fronts simultaneously.
Russians reportedly attacked Ukrainian positions with rocket attacks and artillery fire, but have not yet launched a large-scale offensive in the Kursk region.
The Ukrainian side expects the North Korean military to intensify the attack in the coming days.
North Korean soldiers are currently training with Russian forces in western Kursk Oblast. Western and Ukrainian officials say the arrival of North Korean troops in Russia is a significant escalation after more than two years of war.
According to U.S. officials, more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers have joined the Russian army, equipped and armed by Russia, but organized into their own units.
Ukrainian sources report that Moscow has been supplying North Korean forces with machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
U.S. officials note that Russians are training North Korean soldiers in artillery fire, basic infantry tactics, and, most importantly, trench clearing.
The United States notes that North Korea has sent its elite units to Russia, including the 11th Special Operations Corps.
According to the Ukrainian official, the North Korean forces are divided into two groups - an assault unit and a support unit - that will help ensure security on the territories recaptured from Ukrainian troops.
Recall
A spokeswoman for the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade Combat Team (SMBT) fighting in Kursk Oblast saidthat Russian troops have intensified their actions in several areas of Kursk Oblast, using APCs, infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, focusing on bypass maneuvers.