As many as 10,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been deployed to the region under an agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang, according to reports. This move comes amid warnings about Russia’s shrinking manpower. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not provide further details, a battalion typically consists of up to 1,000 troops.
Back in December, Ukrainian officials raised alarms over the deployment of these foreign fighters to the front lines. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also claimed that the North Korean soldiers were “highly indoctrinated” and willing to launch attacks even when they were clearly futile.
On Saturday, Ukraine’s armed forces reported 179 distinct clashes along the volatile front line. These included heavy fighting near the northeastern city of Kharkiv and around Pokrovsk in the Donbas region. Ukrainian estimates suggest that 1,730 Russian soldiers were killed or captured during these confrontations.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry announced that it would “retaliate” after reportedly intercepting eight U.S.-made missiles fired by Ukraine. Kyiv has not confirmed the strikes but has previously defended its right to target critical military infrastructure and drone launch sites deep within Russian territory.













Leave a Reply