North Korean troops spotted in Russian border region with Ukraine, says Kyiv

CNN —

A group of North Korean soldiers have been spotted in Russia’s Kursk region, an area that borders Ukraine and has seen ongoing military operations, Ukraine’s military intelligence service announced Thursday.

In a post on its official Telegram account, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said some North Korean troops, who had received training in Russia’s far east, have made their way to the western Russia region, where Ukraine has maintained a foothold since launching an incursion in August.

The intelligence service said the troops had been seen in Kursk on Wednesday. It added that the roughly 12,000 North Korean soldiers that have been deployed to Russia are receiving training at five military training grounds in the country’s east.

The Kremlin had initially dismissed allegations of North Korean troop deployments, but on Thursday at the BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not deny that Pyongyang had sent soldiers to the country.

Last week, CNN geolocated social media videos showing troops arriving at the Sergeevka training ground, close to Russia’s border with China.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea Wednesday, June 19, 2024. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: «KCNA» which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Related article Are North Koreans fighting in Ukraine? Here’s what we know

Thursday’s 12,000 figure is larger than had been