November 11th 2024.
According to a US official who spoke to CNN on Sunday, Russia has gathered a sizeable force of tens of thousands, including newly arrived North Korean troops, to launch an attack on Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region in the coming days. This news comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Thursday that about 11,000 North Korean soldiers are currently stationed in the region, where Ukraine's three-month-long military incursion into Russian territory has reached a standstill.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that the total number of Russian and North Korean troops involved in the assault is estimated to be around 50,000. CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian government for a statement on the matter. A Ukrainian commander informed CNN that the North Korean soldiers are actively engaged in combat operations in Kursk, as well as defensive operations in the neighboring Belgorod region of Russia and in territories occupied by Russia in Ukraine.
The commander explained that the North Korean troops have been assigned to tasks such as providing a second line of defense, engaging in direct combat operations in the Kursk region, and acting as specialist artillerymen and snipers. He also stated that it is highly likely that these troops will eventually be deployed in the occupied territories of Ukraine as well. According to the commander, these North Korean soldiers are a valuable resource for Russia's war against Ukraine, as they can free up Russian troops for other assault operations and will eventually be used in direct combat.
News of North Korean troops being sent to Russia first surfaced last month, but both countries denied the allegations at the time. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the two pariah states have developed a closer relationship. North Korea, which has one of the largest militaries in the world, lacks combat experience among its soldiers. This is in contrast to Ukraine, which launched its first invasion of the Kursk region over the summer, surprising Russia and marking the first time since World War II that the country has invaded another.
However, Ukraine's actions have not stopped Russia's steady advancement in the eastern part of the country, where its army chief has warned that they are facing one of the most powerful Russian offensives since the start of the war. The Russian military is also continuously launching long-range drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and using decoy drones without warheads to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses, according to a spokesperson for Ukraine's air force.
President Zelensky, who was in Budapest on Thursday, expressed frustration that world leaders are not listening to his pleas for assistance in the face of a new wave of escalation involving "the army of another state in the war against Ukraine." This comes at a time when there are concerns about the future of Ukraine's relationship with the US, as President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office in January. During his campaign, Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, cast doubts on the US's commitment to Ukraine and suggested that the country could be pressured into an uneasy truce with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his first public comments on the US election, stated that he is ready for dialogue with the president-elect and acknowledged that Trump's comments about ending the war in Ukraine "deserve attention at the very least." President Zelensky and Trump spoke the day after the election, with Zelensky congratulating the president-elect in a positive conversation. The call, which lasted around seven minutes, included tech billionaire Elon Musk and did not involve any discussions about policy.
In related news, the Biden administration has lifted a de facto ban on American military contractors deploying to Ukraine to help with the maintenance and repair of US-provided weapons systems. This move, according to an official with direct knowledge of the plan, marks the first time since Russia's invasion in 2022 that the Pentagon can provide contracts to American companies for work within Ukraine.
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