Russia has amassed a force of 50,000 troops, including 10,000 North Korean soldiers, near the Kursk region in preparation for a new assault to retake Ukrainian-held territory, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. This escalation comes as North Korean forces, training with Russian troops, are expected to join in direct combat in what could mark a significant turning point in the two-year conflict.
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A recent U.S. intelligence assessment suggests Moscow has bolstered its forces in Kursk without reducing its eastern Ukraine presence, allowing it to pressure Ukraine on multiple fronts simultaneously. The North Korean soldiers, drawn from elite units and equipped with Russian weapons, are divided into assault and support units and are expected to fight in their own discrete groups.
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According to Ukrainian officials, Russia has provided the North Korean forces with machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Training for the North Koreans has reportedly included artillery fire, basic infantry tactics and trench clearing in preparation for frontal assaults on entrenched Ukrainian positions.
This new offensive looms as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office with a stated priority of ending the war quickly. While Trump has not specified his approach, Vice President-elect JD Vance has suggested a plan that would allow Russia to retain territory it has captured in Ukraine.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, indicate that North Korea may have agreed to send its troops in exchange for missile technology and diplomatic support from Russia. The North Korean forces, known for cohesion and discipline, are expected to bolster Russia’s capability in Kursk, though the nation’s lack of combat experience raises questions about their battlefield effectiveness.
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In the past 24 hours, Ukraine reported Russia’s deadliest day of the war, with 1,770 Russian soldiers killed or wounded. British defense officials noted that Russian forces sustained an average of 1,500 casualties per day in October 2024, resulting in Moscow’s highest monthly losses since the war began.
Tags: Kim Jong Un, Kursk, North Korea, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Security Service, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
[Lauren Taylor]
RUSSIA HAS AMASSED A FORCE OF 50-THOUSAND TROOPS, INCLUDING 10-THOUSAND NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS, NEAR THE KURSK REGION, IN WHAT U-S OFFICIALS BELIEVE IS PREPARATION FOR A SIGNIFICANT NEW ASSAULT ON UKRAINE.
RUSSIA REPORTEDLY GATHERED THESE TROOPS WITHOUT PULLING FORCES FROM EASTERN UKRAINE, ALLOWING IT TO PUT PRESSURE ON MULTIPLE FRONTS. NORTH KOREAN TROOPS, NEWLY ARRIVED AND TRAINING IN KURSK, ARE PRACTICING ARTILLERY FIRE, TRENCH CLEARING, AND INFANTRY TACTICS.
THESE NORTH KOREAN FORCES… OUTFITTED WITH RUSSIAN UNIFORMS AND WEAPONS… INCLUDING MACHINE GUNS, SNIPER RIFLES, AND ANTI-TANK MISSILES… ARE EXPECTED TO FIGHT IN THEIR OWN DISCRETE UNITS. IN RETURN FOR THIS SUPPORT… PYONGYANG EXPECTS MISSILE TECHNOLOGY AND DIPLOMATIC BACKING FROM MOSCOW… MARKING A SIGNIFICANT STEP BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS.
Vedant Patel. Principal Deputy Spokesperson. U.S. Department of State
“And if these, of course, reports are true, it would indicate a dangerous and reckless closening of relationships between Russia and the DPRK.”
U-S MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS WARN THAT BOTH FORCES COULD BE PREPARING A LARGER, SUSTAINED OFFENSIVE AS RUSSIA SEEKS TO REGAIN LOST GROUND IN BOTH KURSK AND EASTERN UKRAINE.
THE TOLL ON RUSSIAN FORCES HAS BEEN HEAVY. ON MONDAY… UKRAINE REPORTED RUSSIA’S DEADLIEST DAY OF THE WAR, WITH MORE THAN 17-HUNDRED RUSSIAN SOLDIERS KILLED OR INJURED WITHIN THE LAST 24 HOURS ALONE. OCTOBER SAW SOME OF RUSSIA’S HIGHEST MONTHLY CASUALTIES AT OVER 40-THOUSAND… AVERAGING 15-HUNDRED PER DAY, AS RUSSIAN FORCES PRESS THEIR ATTACKS ON UKRAINIAN POSITIONS.
NUMBERS LIKE THESE UNDERSCORE THE EXTREME HUMAN COST OF THIS CONFLICT, WITH ESTIMATES PUTTING RUSSIA’S TOTAL CASUALTIES SINCE THE INVASION AT OVER 700-THOUSAND SOLDIERS KILLED OR WOUNDED SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2022. RUSSIA’S CONTINUED USE OF “MEAT GRINDER” TACTICS… RELYING ON SHEER NUMBERS IN INFANTRY-LED ATTACKS… ARE DRIVING THESE HIGH CASUALTY RATES.
FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES AND STRAIGHT FACTS… DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
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39 other sources covering this story
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