Ukra "North Korean troops deployed to Kursk province, mainland Russia"

Ukraine claimed on the 24th local time that the first North Korean troops were deployed to battlefields, including Kursk in mainland Russia.

Ukraine's military intelligence bureau said the North Korean military was seen in Kursk, where its forces are operating, on the 23rd, Ukrainian media outlet Ukraine Skafrauda reported.

Ukraine's military says about 12,000 North Korean troops, including three generals and 500 officers, are in Russia and are training at five bases in eastern Russia, including Usurisk and Ulan Ude.

Russia has also appointed Deputy Defense Minister Yunusbek Yevkurov as the head of North Korean military training and control, adding that it has several weeks to train North Korean troops to the battlefield.

Kursk, in southwestern Russia, is an area where Ukrainian forces entered on August 6 and seized some territory and are fighting Russian forces.

Earlier, Kyodo News, citing Ukrainian military sources, reported that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers had completed training and were on their way to western Russia, close to the Ukrainian border.