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Russia Deploys 8,500 North Korean Troops to Kursk, Including 400 Drone Operators
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Russia has deployed approximately 8,500 North Korean troops to its Kursk region, including hundreds of trained drone operators who could be used in reconnaissance and attacks against Ukraine, CNN reported on August 21.
The deployment includes around 1,000 engineers and sappers as well as 400 unmanned aerial vehicle operators, Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) told CNN.
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According to Skibitskyi, the North Korean drone operators are likely to be involved in both reconnaissance missions and strikes against Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence assesses that the North Korean troops are not expected to fight directly on Ukrainian territory. Instead, their primary role is to reinforce Russian rear positions, allowing Moscow to redeploy its own forces for assault operations.
Around 90 North Korean military personnel are also currently stationed in Voronezh, where they are assisting Russian forces with missile launches, according to Skibitskyi.
In total, approximately 25,000 North Korean troops have already rotated through the Russian military, he said.
The deployment is part of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Skibitskyi said North Korea had requested a Russian S-400 air defense system in exchange for providing personnel and had already received a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery system.
The latest assessment follows Pyongyang’s denial of reports that it could send tens of thousands more troops to Russia. On August 19, North Korea dismissed claims that it could deploy as many as 50,000 additional soldiers to support Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, calling the reports baseless.
Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assessment that Pyongyang could deploy another 30,000 to 50,000 troops to Russia, claiming that the reports had been fabricated by the Ukrainian president.
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-38a14791dc719f009d841d99b92cfec3.jpg "Smoke rises from a shopping complex in Kryvyi Rih following a Russian drone strike on August 21, 2026. (Source: Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration)")
