8000 North Korea Troops Armed by Russia: Ukraine’s Claim

North Korea troops deployed to Ukraine

8000 North Korea Troops Armed by Russia: Ukraine’s Claim A video posted on social media claims a Russian soldier revealed how North Korean troops deployed to fight Ukraine endangered their own unit by firing in the wrong direction. This follows reports from Kyiv that North Korean forces stationed in Russia’s Kursk region had come under attack. The deployment of North Korean soldiers marks an international concern as a third party enters the conflict.

Approximately 8,000 North Korean troops have been stationed in Kursk, where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion on August 6, initially making significant gains before Russian forces regained control of much of the territory. Footage shared by a pro-Ukrainian account on X, known as Victoria, reportedly shows a captured Russian soldier describing the chaotic experience involving the new North Korean recruits. According to the soldier, his unit, along with 10 North Korean soldiers, was sent to dig trenches and provided with warm clothing and food.

During an assault, the North Korean troops allegedly fired on their own allies. The soldier said, “We tried to explain where to aim, but I think they shot two of our own.” He noted that surrendering seemed a safer option than facing friendly fire.

The X post, shared with over 26,000 followers, added, “Here’s hoping that ‘friendly fire’ wasn’t so friendly after all.” Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s counter-disinformation department, confirmed that North Korean troops in Kursk had come under attack, shortly after NATO and the U.S. recognized their presence.

Ukrainian military veteran and geopolitical analyst Viktor Kovalenko told *Newsweek* that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using North Korean troops not to win the war but as a means to address pressing policy issues and for propaganda purposes. Kovalenko suggested this approach might delay a general mobilization in Russia or hold off until potential peace talks influenced by the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.

According to *The Korea Herald*, citing South Korean lawmaker Wi Sung-lac after a briefing by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Pyongyang is expected to receive financial compensation, food supplies, and space technology in return for its participation. The newspaper reported that North Korean soldiers would earn $2,000 monthly, translating to an annual cost of approximately $240 million for 10,000 deployed troops.

Ukrainian U.N. ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya stated that Russia plans to integrate these North Korean forces into mixed units of 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers, combined with ethnic minorities from Russia’s Far East, to mask their presence.

8000 North Korea Troops Armed by Russia: Ukraine’s Claim Ukrainian intelligence has detailed the equipment that it claims Moscow is supplying to North Korean troops stationed in Russia. According to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, thousands of North Korean troops in the Kursk region have been equipped with various weapons, including 60mm mortars, AK-12 assault rifles, RPK/PKM machine guns, SVD/SVF sniper rifles (known as “Dragunov”), Phoenix anti-tank guided missiles, and RPG-7s. Additionally, these troops have reportedly received night vision devices, thermal imagers, collimator optical sights, and binoculars.

The AK-12 rifle is a standard issue for Russian soldiers, while the SVD sniper rifle, or “Dragunov,” is a semiautomatic weapon used to target personnel and unarmored equipment up to 800 meters away, as described by its manufacturer, Kalashnikov Group. Ukraine had previously released footage suggesting that North Korean soldiers were being equipped with Russian military gear at a training facility.

U.S. officials stated in a recent press briefing that approximately 8,000 North Korean soldiers are in the Kursk region and are expected to be deployed in combat soon. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that these troops had undergone training in artillery, drones, and basic infantry tactics by Russian forces. Although they have not yet engaged in combat, their involvement is anticipated within days.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western allies to remove restrictions on long-range weapons, emphasizing that such capabilities would allow Ukraine to launch preemptive strikes against North Korean forces in Russia. “We could strike preemptively if we had the ability to do so, with a long-range strike,” Zelenskyy stated, stressing that this depends on support from Ukraine’s partners.