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North Korean Engineers Begin Massive Demining Effort in Russia’s Kursk Battle Zone
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North Korean combat engineers have begun mine-clearing operations in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces fought Russian troops for more than six months, The Moscow Times reported on November 14, citing Krasnaya Zvezda, the newspaper of Russia’s Defense Ministry.
According to the outlet, the North Korean personnel are clearing anti-tank and anti-personnel mines—including US-made Claymore devices and Finnish Hailstorm mines—as well as various types of unexploded artillery ordnance. They were deployed only after undergoing additional training at Russian military engineering centers, the report said.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region in August 2024, taking control of over 1,000 square kilometers. Moscow later engaged North Korean troops in the fighting—the first such deployment—following a strategic partnership agreement signed by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un that includes provisions for mutual military assistance. South Korean intelligence has estimated that North Korea sent roughly 10,000 military personnel to Russia in 2024.
Russia has continued to expand its use of North Korean labor in the region. In June, Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said Kim Jong Un agreed to send an additional 6,000 personnel for demining and reconstruction, including 1,000 sappers. South Korean intelligence later reported that about 5,000 North Korean construction troops had been moving into Russia in successive groups since September.
According to The Moscow Times, Russian officials say demining the border areas will take more than a year due to the extensive minefields left by Ukrainian defensive positions.
Earlier, it was reported that North Korea carried out a ballistic missile launch on November 7, sending the projectile toward waters off its eastern coast.
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