Deployment of DPRK military, first to special operations in Kursk, Russia

[Anchor]

There are analyses suggesting that the southwestern Kursk region of Russia is likely to be the first area where DPRK troops deployed to Russia will be stationed.

This area is currently partially occupied by Ukraine through special operations, and it seems that Russia will launch a counter-offensive with the DPRK troops at the forefront.

This is Joo Bit-na reporting from Berlin.

[Report]

Russian troops are surrendering with white flags, and in the empty villages, the Ukrainian flag is raised instead of the Russian flag.

In August, the Ukrainian army, leading with tanks and armored vehicles, unexpectedly crossed the southwestern border of Russia and announced that they had seized about one thousand square kilometers of the Kursk region within a week.

This is a crucial area with nuclear power plants and fuel facilities.

Caught off guard, Russia has redeployed rear units and deployed 50,000 Chechen special forces, but they have only managed to reclaim about half of the lost territory.

There are expectations that the DPRK troops will be deployed first to Kursk.

Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, stated in an interview with a U.S. military media outlet that 11,000 DPRK troops training in the Russian Far East will be ready to fight as early as the 1st of next month.

Among them, it is expected that an advance party of 2,600 will go to Kursk.

He added that the DPRK troops will use Russian equipment and ammunition.

[Volodymyr Zelensky / President of Ukraine: "We have identified that DPRK is preparing to send about 10,000 troops to fight against us."]

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Meanwhile, a video has been posted on Russian social media, identified as pro-Ukrainian, which is presumed to show DPRK soldiers filmed at one of Russia's military training grounds.

However, it was added that it cannot be confirmed when or where it was filmed.

This is Joo Bit-na for KBS News in Berlin.