Sending North Korean military personnel to Russia was Pyongyang's idea, not Moscow. It is reported by The New York Times with reference to US officials.
"When this fall, North Korean troops began to arrive in However, some Western officials felt that this was a sign that the Kremlin desperately needed more soldiers. But US intelligence agencies have now concluded that the deployment was North Korea's idea, not Russia, although President Vladimir Putin quickly accepted it, American officials say," the newspaper writes.
According to estimates by Ukraine and the West, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent at least 10,000 troops to Russia. They mostly joined Russian units preparing for a counteroffensive in the Kursk region. According to Western officials, North Korean troops have now entered the battle and some of them have been killed.
US officials do not believe that Kim Jong-un received anything in return from Russia. According to them, he seems to hope that Russia will repay the favor in the future in the form of support in the diplomatic struggle, as well as assistance in the event of a crisis and technology.
According to American and Ukrainian officials, the DPRK military has for the most part already engaged in combat with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, some of them were killed.
"We saw how these North Korean soldiers moved from the second lines on the battlefield to the front line on the battlefield, designed to actively participate in hostilities. This is not surprising — and, of course, it is also not surprising that now North Korean soldiers are suffering losses on the battlefield," White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby said last week.
As reported by EADaily, the DPRK may send to Russia has even more soldiers and military equipment to participate in the conflict. This was stated today following a meeting of the Headquarters by the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky.
According to him, more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers were killed and wounded in the Kursk region.