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By Jon Jackson
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said North Korean soldiers have been "brought in again" to fight on the front line in Russia's Kursk region.
Zelensky made the comments during his evening address to the nation, adding that during recent fighting "a significant number of occupiers have been eliminated, we're talking hundreds of Russian and North Korean servicemen."
Newsweek contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense via online form on Friday for comment.
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Why It Matters
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent an estimated 12,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia who were quickly dispatched to Kursk, intelligence reports suggested in the fall. Estimates from Ukraine put roughly half that number as having been killed or injured, but those figures have not been independently verified.
In late January, Sky News reported a Ukrainian special forces commander said Kim's servicemen fighting on behalf of Moscow had temporarily withdrawn from the Kursk front line after suffering heavy casualties. The New York Times reported days later that North Korean troops had been pulled from Kursk, while and a spokesperson for Ukraine's Special Operations Forces spokesperson told The Kyiv Independent that Ukraine's military had not fought against North Korean soldiers for weeks.
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However, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, pushed back on these reports, saying that the number of North Korean soldiers had only decreased. According to Budanov, around 8,000 of Kim's troops remained fighting alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin's men.
What To Know
Though Zelensky didn't provide an exact number of North Korean troops in Kursk, he did mention in a Friday interview with Reuters that thousands of Kim's men had returned to active combat in the region after a pause.
The Ukrainian leader also confirmed to Reuters that his armed forces had mounted a new offensive in Kursk this week and advanced 1.5 miles further into the region.
Zelensky said during his evening address that military operations in Kursk are "crucial," adding that "fighting specifically on Russia's territory prevents the tensions from escalating against our cities, our land."
"A total of 60,000 Russian troops in Kursk Oblast are 60,000 that have not replenished the already significant occupier's forces in Pokrovsk and other sectors in our Donetsk Oblast," he said.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his Friday evening address: "New assaults took place in the areas of the Kursk operation—the Russian army with North Korean soldiers brought in again. A significant number of occupiers have been eliminated, we're talking hundreds of Russian and North Korean servicemen."
What Happens Next
U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House has amplified speculation about negotiations to end the war started by Putin in February 2022.
Earlier this week, Zelensky said during an interview that he's ready to engage in direct talks with Putin to negotiate an end to the war. The Kremlin responded by calling Zelensky's comments "empty words" but said Moscow is always open to talks.
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