Russia has gathered 50,000 soldiers for an offensive in Kursk, including from North Korea, – NYT.

According to a report by The New York Times, Russia has gathered 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean troops, in the Kursk region, for future offensive actions.

According to American and Ukrainian officials, Russian troops are preparing for an offensive in the Kursk region. The American assessment claims that Russia may push on several fronts simultaneously without withdrawing troops from eastern Ukraine.

Although the Russian offensive in the Kursk region has not yet begun, Ukrainian officials expect an attack by joint Russian-North Korean military forces in the coming days. At the moment, soldiers from North Korea are conducting joint exercises with Russian troops in the western part of the Kursk region.

According to American officials, Russia has trained North Korean troops in artillery fire, basic infantry tactics, and trench clearing. Ukrainian sources claim that North Korean forces have been divided into assault and support units.

American officials believe that it will be difficult for Ukrainian troops to oust Russian and North Korean forces from the Kursk region, and that these forces may suffer significant losses similar to the ones the occupiers faced in eastern Ukraine.

It was previously known why North Korean military are ready to die at the hands of Russia in the war against Ukraine.

North Korean troops have already arrived in the conflict zone, specifically, they arrived in the Kursk region on October 23, 2024.

The South Korean intelligence service believes that North Korea has sent approximately 3,000 military personnel to Russia to support the Russian occupation of Ukraine.

According to a report by Yonhap agency, North Korea's military reserves allow it to conduct combat operations for three months. North Korean factories are working at full capacity to supply weapons to the Russian occupiers.

There are about two hundred military enterprises working for North Korea's military-industrial complex. The factories produce all necessary types of weapons and ammunition except fighters. Some of the military factories are located underground.