Putin reaches for Kursk – and builds on North Korean troops

Berlin. The counteroffensive on Kursk seems imminent. There are also some from North Korea among the tens of thousands of soldiers.

The Ukrainian army pulled off a coup in August this year that… Kremlin At least it should have been surprising: suddenly there were foreign soldiers in the territory from which the invasion of Ukraine had once begun. At times, Russian troops managed to hold at least parts of the affected region.

With the start of the winter months, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin appears determined to retake the lost national territory. He recruited 50,000 soldiers for this purpose, reports the New York Times vocation on American and Austrian government representatives.

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Russia receives support from North Korea

Among them are said to be more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers, US officials told the newspaper. “Thousands of additional infantry can go in.” Kursk make a difference,” analyzes Russian military expert Rob Lee.

Capital Inside by Jörg Quoos, editor-in-chief of the FUNKE central editorial team

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At the end of October, reports initially increased that Putin was supporting North Korea Leader Kim Jong-un gets. According to the newspaper report, the soldiers sent from Pyongyang are now training in the west of the occupied Kursk region.

Report: With North Korea’s support, Russia doesn’t have to withdraw troops

According to the New York Times, Ukrainian officials expect the attack could take place within the next few days. Possible through the mobilization of North Korean troops Russia launch a counterattack without sacrificing human resources on the front lines inside Ukraine. On the other hand, things were different: When Ukrainian units arrived in Kursk in the summer, some of them were missing from the home front. US military officials spoke to the New York Times about the critical deficits that accompany this.

A destroyed Russian tank lies on the side of the road in the Kursk region.
© DPA Images | Uncredited

The Pentagon assumes that North Korean units will be involved in immediate combat operations. As well as the question of whether troops In case of doubt, advances on Russian territory are also allowed, it remains to be seen under what conditions Kim Jong-un lets his soldiers fight in the Russian border area.

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“In one thing they may even be better than the Russians”

US officials confirmed to the newspaper what was evident from videos on social media, namely that the North Korean units were equipped with Russian uniforms and equipment. This includes, according to Ukrainian officials Machine gunsSniper rifles, anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. During their training at Russian military installations, they are said to have been trained in artillery, basic infantry tactics and especially fighting in trenches.

“They may even be better at one thing than they are.” Russiansnamely in terms of cohesion and discipline,” said analyst George Barros to the New York Times. The officials quoted assume that the foreign troops will fight in their own units, including on the front line, despite Russian equipment.