Ukra "Up to 15,000 North Korean troops in Kursk...small-scale skirmishes"

While the U.S. government has estimated that at least 10,000 North Korean troops have moved to Kursk, Russia, the Ukrainian government has analyzed that there will be up to 15,000 more.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told KBS that "there are currently about 12,000 North Korean soldiers in Kursk," adding, "An additional 2,500 to 3,000 people are coming."

Umerov said he expects the North Korean military to be up to 15,000 people, adding, "They will participate as part of the Russian military and be distributed throughout the battlefield."

At the same time, in response to a Ukrainian official's claim that the North Korean military was first attacked in Kursk, he said, "There have been a few small-scale skirmishes, but there are not many troops," and predicted that "a significant number of troops who have completed training will be deployed within weeks."

Umerov added that the report could soon also announce the situation of small-scale fighting, whether North Korean prisoners of war have occurred, and the number of casualties.

Regarding the military support that South Korea wants, he said, "All forms of air defense systems are the priority," stressing the need for improvised explosives and electronic warfare technology along with artillery shells and mortars.

Umerov said the envoys representing him were discussing the itinerary of their visit to South Korea and noted that the South Korean side would visit as soon as it was ready.