North Korea Might Send Additional 6,000 Troops and Significant Military Equipment to Russia — Budanov

According to Kyrylo Budanov, the Head of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, North Korea is preparing to dispatch approximately six thousand of its military personnel to Russia in the near future.
Alongside these troops, between 50 and 100 units of advanced military hardware, including modern tanks and armored vehicles, are expected to be transported.
Officially, these forces are described as engineering troops specializing in demining and construction of defensive fortifications in the Kursk region of Russia.
However, intelligence officials express skepticism about the true purpose of these deployments, suggesting that their role might extend beyond mere construction activities.
The military equipment intended for transfer includes Cheonma-D tanks and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, which will strengthen Russia’s capabilities amidst ongoing conflicts.
This cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is seen as a serious threat not only to Ukraine but also to regional stability across the Asia-Pacific, as it involves substantial military and economic exchanges.
Russia supplies North Korea with money, technological support, training, and vital resources such as food, fuel, and lubricants.
Kremlin’s financial investments amount to billions of dollars, a significant sum for one of the world’s most isolated nations.
These developments follow earlier confirmations in April, when both North Korea and Russia acknowledged the involvement of North Korean troops in the Ukraine conflict, particularly in the Kursk region, which was then under partial Ukrainian control.
This cooperation is founded on a strategic agreement signed last June between President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong In, emphasizing mutual defense and military collaboration, raising concerns over escalating regional tensions.