North Korea has deployed additional troops to Russia, but the scale of the contingent was not immediately known, South Korean media reported on Thursday, citing the country’s intelligence agency. The North Koreans are getting more and more involved in the Russia-Ukraine war,
The additional troops have been sent to the battlegrounds in Russia’s Kursk region, the reports said. Russian forces are fighting Ukrainian troops who thrust across the border into the western Russia region.
The spokesperson’s office at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) did not answer ReuterтАЩs telephone calls seeking comment.
North Korea has deployed more than 11,000 troops to Russia to fight in the Ukraine war, the NIS has previously said. Ukraine and Western experts say Russian forces have also used North Korean weapons.
North Korea has not formally acknowledged its military support for Russia in the Ukraine war.
At Kursk, Ukraine was able to achieve a strategic surprise and managed to force through thin Russian defences to capture a sizeable amount of territory. However, it wasnтАЩt enough to unhinge Russian forces substantially from their attacks in the Donetsk region. At this stage approximately 10,000 North Korean troops were available in Russia for employment. Though the performance of the North Koreans has drawn sceptic comments from analysts, Ukrainians were unable to maintain the momentum of their advance.
Kursk is an old battleground and has witnessed major fighting during the World War II. In fact, the battle of Kursk is considered to be one of the major turning points in World War II history.
The Ukrainian advance into Kursk has also possibly led to substantial depletion of its strategic reserves. Currently, the battle in Ukrainian western provinces is gradually going in RussiaтАЩs favour. In effect, itтАЩs a meat grinder operation where the Russians are taking enormous casualties, but gaining ground, though at a painfully slow pace.
Team BharatShakti
(With Inputs from Reuters)
