Putin is betting that North Korean troops will retake Kurdistan - FT
Kyiv • UNN
Hundreds of North Korean soldiers are training in Russia's Far East for possible deployment to Ukraine. A contingent of 12,000 troops could be sent to help Russia retake the Kursk region.
The Kremlin can expect that North Korean troops will take back Kurdish territory, writes the Financial Times, reports UNN.
Details
Hundreds of North Korean soldiers have been filmed at military bases in Russia's Far East, where they are training for what Kyiv and its Western allies call a deployment to take part in Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine, the newspaper writes.
"Disguised as Buryats and Yakuts, ethnic minorities from Siberia who make up a disproportionate share of Moscow's forces, the North Korean troops are part of a 12,000-strong group sent to help Russia retake the Kursk region, which has been partially held by Ukraine since August, according to video footage released by South Korean intelligence," the newspaper reports.
According to Ukrainian analysts, "this force is probably too small to turn the tide of the war, as Russia will need to double its 50,000 troops in Kursk to displace Ukrainian troops and conduct a new wave of mobilization to make major gains along the Ukrainian front line.
But, according to Jack Watling, senior research fellow for ground warfare at the Royal United Institute for Defense Studies, "North Korea's ability to help offset Russia's numbers could create more problems for Ukraine.
As noted, the contingent marks the first deployment of a foreign army in the war since the Kremlin leader ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although Moscow has also turned to allies, including North Korea and Iran, for weapons.
Recall
The President of Ukraine announced that two brigades of 6,000 DPRK troops are being trained in Russia. Zelenskyy called on the world to react harshly to North Korea's interference in the war in Europe.
