Currently, 10,000 North Korean infantry soldiers are undergoing training in Russia’s Far East in preparation for deployment to border areas near Ukraine and for the rotation of Russian troops, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) sources told Kyiv Post on Wednesday morning.
The North Korean soldiers’ deployment to Russia’s border with Ukraine would allow Moscow to free up its own personnel for other tasks, said the HUR on Oct. 16.
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On Tuesday Kyiv Post reported citing its sources in HUR, Russia is grappling with a significant manpower shortage on the front lines due to heavy casualties, both dead and wounded. In response, North Korea, a key ally, is reported to be stepping in to provide large-scale support – not only with weapons and military equipment but also by supplying personnel.
“Putin is doing everything possible to delay and avoid the decision to conduct a new full-fledged wave of mobilization [within] the Russian Federation,” the source said.
According to the sources, the North Koreans will form part of the “Special Buryat Battalion,” organized within Russia’s 11th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade.
The battalion is expected to include up to 3,000 North Korean troops and is currently being supplied with small arms and ammunition.
The battalion may be deployed near Sudzha and Kursk, close to the Ukrainian border, though it’s unclear exactly where.
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The Washington Post had earlier reported that thousands of North Korean infantrymen were undergoing training in Russia, with the possibility of being sent to Ukraine by the end of 2024.
On Monday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin submitted a draft law to the State Duma to ratify a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea.
A key provision in Article 4 of the agreement states that if either Russia or North Korea is attacked and enters a state of war, the other party will provide military and other assistance using all available means, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of both nations.
Kyiv Post, citing its intelligence sources, earlier reported that more than 20 Russia-aligned soldiers were killed as a result of an Oct. 3 missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk, including six officers from North Korea, who came to confer with their Russian counterparts.
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