[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] Approximately 2,000 North Korean troops, having completed training in Russia's eastern region, are reportedly en route by train to western Russia, near the Ukrainian border, according to reports on the 24th.

A Ukrainian military source informed Kyodo News that North Korean officers had already entered Russia's Kursk region earlier this month as an advance team, preparing to receive the troops. This is the first time the movement of North Korean soldiers to Russia's western region has been revealed.

The source indicated that the North Korean soldiers are likely headed toward Russia's Kursk or Rostov regions, areas near Ukraine's ongoing conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed on the 23rd that the U.S. has evidence of North Korean troops being sent to Russia.

The Ukrainian military source also mentioned that the advance team consists of around ten North Korean officers. In Kursk, preparations are reportedly underway to secure a base for the North Korean troops, as well as to establish communications and ensure the security of the surrounding areas.

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]