According to the head of Kyiv’s Defense Intelligence Directorate, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the North Korean troops currently being trained in Russia “will be ready on Nov. 1,” and the troops will use Russian equipment and ammunition.
Budanov added that the first cadre of 2,600 troops will go to Kursk in Russia, where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion in late summer, but it is unclear where the remaining North Korean troops will be stationed.
In June, Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that commits both countries to provide military assistance to each other if either is attacked.
“The DPRK is our close neighbor, our partner, and we are developing our relations in all areas, and this is our sovereign right. This should not cause any concerns for anyone, because this cooperation is not directed against third countries. We will continue to develop this cooperation,” Peskov said Monday.
This story has been updated.
