Impact of North Korea's military presence in Kursk region - Pentagon
Photo: DPRK soldiers (Getty Images)
The deployment of 10,000 to 12,000 North Korean troops in the Kursk region to support the Russian army could play a significant role in Moscow's efforts to push Ukrainian forces out of the area, contingent on various factors, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
The US Department of Defense representative noted that Russian military-political leadership's response to the initiation of the Ukrainian army's operations in Kursk during the first days of the offensive was "very muddled" in its attempts to drive Ukrainian forces out of the region.
"And for the most part, they (Russian forces -ed.) have not been able to push the Ukrainians very far. They've taken some incremental amounts of territory back but nothing that we would categorize as significant." Ryder said.
According to him, the deployment of "these additional 10,000 to 11,000 to 12,000 (North Korean -ed.) forces in Kursk is definitely something from a combat capability standpoint that could be significant."
However, he emphasized that much will depend on "how those forces are employed, how they're integrated into the Russian command and control."
Additionally, he stated that battle-hardened Ukrainian forces would likely continue operations in the Kursk region, particularly in maintaining the territory they had taken control of.
When reporters asked whether the introduction of at least 10,000 North Korean troops holds quantitative and numerical significance for Russia's counteroffensive actions in the region, Ryder urged attention not to focus on numbers that may be misleading.
"Because look what Ukraine did when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and how a small number of forces to date have been able to largely defeat the strategic objectives of what was and is the largest army in Europe," he stated.
The Pentagon representative emphasized that much hinges on how Russia employs this North Korean contingent and "how well they're integrated, what kind of combat experience they have."
"And so we'll see. In the meantime, we continue to consult very closely with our allies and partners," the US general added.
DPRK forces in Kursk region
Earlier, Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that 12,000 North Korean soldiers had already been transferred to Russian territory. Some of them have already been spotted in the Kursk region.
On November 4, the US State Department announced that the US had identified around 10,000 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. They may enter combat in the coming days.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that there were already 11,000 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region.
Additionally, on November 4, reports emerged that North Korean troops had already come under fire in the Kursk region. However, no detailed information regarding the results of the attack has been released.
