Ukrainian military has disclosed intercepted communications of North Korean troops stationed in the Russian region of Kursk. On the 26th (local time), the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) shared an audio file on X (formerly Twitter) featuring a voice in Korean instructing a colleague to “come out quickly.” In the audio file, one man gives a code name and says he is on a boat heading forward. Another man urgently urges him to “come out quickly,” to which the first man replies, “got it.”
The DIU stated, “We intercepted new communications from North Korean troops stationed in the Kursk region,” and explained that the North Korean troops were sending messages to other soldiers via radio. However, they did not disclose when the conversation was intercepted.
Ukrainian and U.S. authorities estimate that approximately 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russia’s war in Ukraine and are currently located in Kursk.
Local Ukrainian media reported on the 24th that some North Korean troops stationed in Kursk had engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces.
In relation to this, U.S. military expert media Global Defense Corporation recently reported on the 20th that a Ukrainian Storm Shadow cruise missile attack killed 500 North Korean troops in Kursk. However, the media did not provide sources or evidence for this information, and the U.S. Department of Defense stated that it could not verify the report.
On that day, Russian independent investigative media Agentstvo reported that the Russian military is advancing at its fastest pace since the war began in February 2022. According to the report, the Russian military has captured about 235 square kilometers in Ukraine over the past week, marking the highest weekly record this year. The 600 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory reportedly captured by Russian forces this month is similar in size to Seoul. Alongside territorial expansion, Russian forces are also intensifying airstrikes targeting Ukraine’s major infrastructure.