This unit, as indicated by sources, will be staffed by citizens of North Korea. The approximate number of personnel is estimated to be up to 3,000 individuals. Currently, the process of equipping the battalion with small arms and ammunition is underway.
"It is likely that the battalion may be tasked with combat operations near the settlements of Sudzha and Kursk," the sources note.
The Washington Post wrote earlier about the training of several thousand North Korean infantrymen in Russia. By the end of 2024, they may be deployed to the front lines in Ukraine, though it remains unclear which specific direction they will be assigned to.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied claims about North Korea sending troops to Ukraine.
A lieutenant of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the call sign "Alex" notes that he is not surprised by the dispatch of soldiers from the DPRK to the battlefield, but questions their effectiveness.
"The North Korean army is a frozen relic in almost every aspect: it is not adapted to our battlefield and its specifics, and is poorly equipped. I don't think they will be highly motivated. Obviously, such troops will be thrown into situations where they need to push forward with sheer numbers or scout with bodies," he believes.
The use of North Korean units will help the Russian Armed Forces conserve their own human resources, but at the same time, it will undermine the situation at a specific section of the front, the military expert is confident.
According to estimates by Alexander Kovalenko, coordinator of the "Information Resistance" group and military expert, Iranian and North Korean military personnel have long been part of the Russian forces at the level of instructors and for experience exchange.
In the coming months, especially in 2025, the occupying army will be disproportionately reinforced with human resources. In this context, the recruitment of soldiers from the DPRK appears to be a logical solution, emphasizes the analyst.
"The language barrier can be overcome in specific cases... It is more challenging with combat units [than with engineering units], as given the intensity of the combat operations, constant communication is necessary, and interaction is a matter of survival," he reflects.
Kovalenko believes that soldiers from the DPRK may be stationed in the rear or border areas to relieve the Kursk or Belgorod groupings of the Russian Armed Forces.
Recall that recently North Korean military personnel were discovered in the occupied part of Donetsk region. One of the training grounds is located near the village of Sartana, where intensive artillery drills are taking place.