Russian troops uneasy as North Korean soldiers arrive
Some Russian soldiers are reluctant to accept soldiers from North Korea, who are expected to join the fight against Ukraine in the Kursk region in the coming days, CNN reports, citing intercepted communications obtained by Ukrainian intelligence.
According to CNN, Ukrainian intelligence intercepted encrypted Russian communications on the night of October 22. The conversations reveal that Russian military personnel speak disdainfully about the North Korean recruits, calling them, among other things, "damn Chinese" and wondering "what the hell to do with them?".
Analysis of the intercepted documents indicates that the movement of North Korean troops was planned for Thursday morning in the area of a field camp in the town of Postoyalye Dvory in the Kursk region. This is a territory bordering Ukraine, where a Ukrainian offensive has been ongoing since August.
North Korea sends soldiers; Russians have concerns
Russian soldiers also expressed concerns regarding the command of the so-called Battalion K and supplying the North Korean soldiers with equipment and ammunition. Recordings indicate that for every 30 North Koreans, there is one interpreter and three Russian officers. "The only thing I don't understand is that there should be three senior officers for 30 people. Where will we get them? We'll have to pull them from somewhere," one of the military personnel is heard saying in the conversation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that he received a report from the supreme commander about the deployment of North Korean soldiers. The report indicates that they would be integrated into the fighting in the Kursk region on Sunday or Monday.
On the same day, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office announced the opening of an investigation to determine whether North Korea's support for Russia in the war constitutes an act of aggression.
