According to US estimates, there are up to 12,000 North Korean servicemen in Russia, with 10,000 of them in the Kursk region, DPA reported, citing BTA, referring to a statement by Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder.< /p>
"If these troops engage in combat support operations against Ukraine, they will become legitimate military targets," Ryder said yesterday, echoing what US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week.
Ryder said the Pentagon is "exploring" the reports of alleged North Korean combat operations.
According to official data, North Korean servicemen arrived in Russia last month. Moscow's forces trained them in infantry and artillery tactics, trench clearing and drone operation, Washington said. The Russians have provided the North Korean troops with Russian uniforms and equipment.
"All indications are that they will provide some sort of combat capability or combat support,'' Ryder said in a statement. "We fully expect that the Ukrainians will do what is necessary to protect themselves and their personnel," the Pentagon spokesman added.
Ryder pointed to Defense Secretary Austin saying recently that North Korean forces could be used "to replenish Russia's massive losses. "I think that's probably a fair assessment, and I certainly wouldn't want to be a North Korean soldier there," he said.
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, 11,000 North Korean soldiers are already stationed in Russia's Kursk region to help Kremlin forces trying to push Ukrainian forces out of Russian territory bordering Ukraine, AFP and Ukrinform reported, quoted by BTA, citing a statement by the Ukrainian president.
"There are already 11,000 in the Kursk region. We are seeing an increase in the number of North Koreans, but not an increase in the response of our partners" from the West, Zelensky emphasized in his daily address.
He announced that he also held a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Sirsky, and with the Chief of the General Staff, Anatoly Barilevich.
"The current combat situation on all fronts was discussed, with particular attention, of course, being paid to the Donetsk directions, although we are also observing Russian activity in the southern part of Ukraine. Defense forces must provide a response. Today we discussed the Kursk operation separately. It will soon be three months since our active operations in the Kursk region. And this is important as we maintain this "sanitary zone" in certain areas near our state border. It is important to recognize the importance of this operation - the Kursk operation - in replenishing our "exchange fund". She helped a lot to free our people from Russian captivity. I thank all the soldiers, sergeants and officers who participated in our active operations in the Kursk region," Zelensky emphasized.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, said that the first North Korean soldiers came under fire in Russia's Kursk region, bordering Ukraine, Ukrinform recalls.
The Ukrainian president noted today that the supply of artillery ammunition from the Western allies has increased, DPA reported. "The results regarding artillery supplies have improved," he said in "Telegram". This means that Ukraine's partners have come closer to their commitments, Zelensky added.
Last Wednesday, the Ukrainian president complained that his country had received only about 10% of the aid approved by the US Congress.
At the meeting with leading military personnel, the topic of expanding Ukrainian production of drones, especially with a long range, was also raised. Producers will receive contracts for a period of three to five years in order to give producers perspective for development and investment.
Ukraine is defending itself from the Russian invasion with the help of the West. Both sides widely use drones against targets in the fighting, DPA notes. Kiev relies heavily on Western support, a key issue ahead of the US presidential election, as the candidates differ widely in their views on Ukraine.