Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief at War Zone, said that close to 11,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia. They will be “ready to battle” in Ukraine by November 1, he said.
Budanov said that the first group of 2,600 troops will be deployed in Russia’s Kursk oblast, where Ukraine launched a cross border incursion into Russia in August and still controls significant territory. The troops will use Russian equipment and ammunition. Further information is not yet available.
Budanov said, “We don’t know the whole picture yet.”
In recent days, concerns about North Korea’s direct participation in Russia’s full scale war have reached a feverish pitch.
At a press conference held in Brussels on October 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia plans to train and engage North Korean specialists as well as infantry in different branches of the military.
He added, “We know that they are preparing to deploy about 10,000 soldiers to fight against us.”
The Kyiv Independent had contacted the President’s Office about the discrepancy in the figures of Budanov and Zelensky, but received no response at the time the article was published.
Zelensky made his statement just days after a Western diplomatic told the Kyiv independent that Pyongyang sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia.
According to military intelligence reports, some North Korean officers have already joined the Russian Army in the occupied territories. Zelensky said that the number of officers is unknown. Zelensky also said that Moscow intends to “actually” involve North Korea in war in the next few months.
Estimates for the number of North Korean soldiers involved in this war have continued to rise.
The National Intelligence Service of South Korea (NIS) reported on October 18 that Pyongyang recently decided to send 12,000 North Korean soldiers including special forces to support Russia’s military effort. The NIS did say if they had already deployed the troops or where.
Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesperson, said on October 17 that he “cannot confirm whether there are North Korean forces in Russia”, but added that “the U.S. will continue to monitor” the current situation.
If the reports are true, they would “demonstrate Russia’s dire situation, its dire situation in terms of the forces it has on the battlefield.”
Ryder said, “It just shows the desperation of their military in identifying additional forces.”
Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, said that the first group of 2,600 troops will be deployed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. This is where Ukraine began its cross-border incision last August and still controls significant territory.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks international aid for Ukraine (IfW Kiel), Germany and the Netherlands allocated 15 billion euro ($16.2 billion) and 6.9 billion euros ($6.9billion), respectively.
The National Intelligence Service of South Korea believes that North Korea will deploy 4 brigades, totaling 12,000 soldiers, including special forces to the war in Ukraine.
The European Council reiterated that it would adhere to the “security and defense policy” of “certain member countries” regarding the use generated from the frozen assets. It added that it would continue to address “all relevant legal and financial issues.”
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that in addition to the 80 drones shot down throughout the country, an additional 44 were “lost.”
“We cannot stop. We must continue to support the cause. “I believe we must continue until Ukraine achieves a just and lasting peace in accordance with the U.N. Charter,” said U.S. president Joe Biden.
This includes 1,530 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
The Krakow District Court began the trial of two Russians, Andrei G. (and Aleksei) T., who allegedly were hired by the Wagner Group in order to distribute flyers to people in Krakow to encourage them to join their organization.
Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian Prime Minister, addressed the annual Ukraine Mine Action Conference held in Switzerland on October 17, and urged the international community for increased support to demining efforts.
According to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway has increased its overall support for Ukraine’s Energy Sector to 3 billion Kroner (approximately $274.2 Million) as part of a broader aid program.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minster, wrote that “what (Zelensky), outlined yesterday in Ukraine’s parliament is more than frightening,” and urged EU leaders to begin talks with Moscow as soon as possible.
In an interview with The Washington Post on October 17, Trump blamed the U.S., Ukraine and other leaders for the war. He did not mention Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We refute the insinuations made by unnamed sources, in the Bild magazine, regarding Ukraine’s alleged plan to develop weapons or mass destruction.”
The change could delay the Ukrainian squadron’s readiness for the battlefield by several months.
“We never talked about…that we were preparing to create nukes or something like that,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainska Pravda, citing reliable sources, reported that the person in question was Iryna Alakhverdiieva, from the Servant of the People Party of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department said that the two Chinese companies, Limbach and Redlepus, have been working together with IEMZ Kupol – a subsidiary of Almaz-Antey – a Kremlin-owned arms company – to create drones.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, wrote on X that Greece is ready to continue to meet Ukraine’s most urgent defence needs.
“Either Ukraine has nuclear weapons that will protect it, or they must be a part of an alliance.” “We do not know any other alliance that is as effective as NATO,” Volodymyr Zelensky told Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The legislation approved by the parliament in December was pushed through under pressure from Western partners as well as Ukrainian business associations. The reform is a necessary step towards Kyiv’s EU accession.
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