According to Western intelligence estimates, about 10,000 North Korean military service members have been dispatched to Russia, with some deployed in Kursk region bordering Ukraine.
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About 10,000 North Korean military service members dispatched to Russia, some deployed in Kursk region
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that some 8,000 North Korean troops are amassed in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Around 10,000 Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) combat troops are in Russia. It is almost certain some have already deployed to the Kursk region
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Russia transferred more than 7,000 North Korean soldiers from the Primorsky Krai to areas near Ukraine.
North Korean troops are being armed with 60-mm mortars and AK-12 assault rifles.
Approximately several thousand North Korean soldiers are moving towards the Kursk region of Russia, and a smaller number are already in the Kursk region.
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Extraction metadata
Extracted: 2026-05-30T04:17:15.536Z
Source story: 3922625-british-intelligence-names-issue-n-korean-troops-to-face-in-russia