Let’s meet North Korean troops in Russia – POLITICO

Kiev's top military commander Oleksandr Syrsky added that Ukrainian troops are currently holding back one of Russia's “most powerful” offensives since Russian President Vladimir Putin's all-out invasion began nearly three years ago.

Meanwhile, North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui was in Moscow to reaffirm Pyongyang's commitment to the strategic partnership signed with Moscow in June.

“We will always stand firmly with our Russian comrades until Victory Day,” Choe said on Friday, promising “invincible military camaraderie” and praising Putin’s “wise leadership” during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

American officials continue to reject requests from Ukraine to attack targets in Russia despite reports of the North Koreans' impending deployment. “We assume that this will happen in the coming days,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday in Washington.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed that around 8,000 North Korean fighters have already advanced into Russia's western Kursk province, where Ukrainian forces are fighting to hold onto territory captured in their surprise attack in August.

But Western analysts argue that North Korea's soldiers – barely equal to Russia's losses in a week – are less important than its vast ammunition stockpile. According to South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence agencies, Pyongyang has sent up to 9 million artillery shells to Moscow, about half of all shots fired by Russia in 2024.