Russia using N Korean troops in bid to reclaim Kursk: Zelensky

KIEV

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 14 that Russia had begun deploying North Korean soldiers to storm Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region.

He spoke after Russian authorities said their firefighters were battling a blaze in the western Oryol region caused by a drone attack, with Ukraine saying it had hit a major oil terminal.

"Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults. A significant number of them," said Zelensky in his evening address.

"The Russians include them in combined units and use them in operations in the Kursk region," he said.

While so far they had only been deployed there, they might also be sent to other parts of the frontline, he said, adding: "There are also already noticeable losses in this category."

Washington and Seoul have accused Pyongyang of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Moscow, after Russia and North Korea signed a landmark defense pact this summer.

The two U.S. foes have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Zelensky said last month that 11,000 North Korean troops were in Russia's western Kursk region and had already sustained losses.

Taken by surprise by the Kursk incursion, Russia has since steadily clawed back territory, halting Ukraine's advance and rushing reinforcements to the region.

A Ukrainian army source told AFP last month that Kiev still controlled 800 square kilometers of the Kursk region, down from previous claims it controlled almost 1,400 square kilometers.

Earlier on Dec. 14, Russian officials said firefighters were battling a blaze caused by a drone attack in the western Oryol region.

Ukraine has been targeting fuel depots in Russia in retaliation for Moscow's strikes wreaking havoc on its power-generation network.