US officials said at a press conference on Thursday that around 8,000 North Korean troops were in the Russian frontline region of Kursk.

Summary

About 8,000 North Korean troops are in Russia’s Kursk region, ready to join the war with weaponry provided by Moscow, including AK-12 rifles, RPG-7s, and night vision equipment. These troops have been trained by Russian forces in artillery and infantry tactics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Western allies to allow long-range strikes, proposing Ukraine could preemptively target the North Korean forces if equipped with necessary weaponry.