Budanov: Nearly 11,000 North Korean troops will be ready to fight against Ukraine in two weeks

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR), said this in an interview with The War Zone, Ukrinform reports.

“They will be ready [to fight in Ukraine] on Nov. 1,” said Budanov, adding that nearly 11,000 soldiers from North Korea are currently training in eastern Russia.

According to Budanov, the North Korean military will be using Russian equipment and ammunition.

The first cadre of 2,600 soldiers will go to the Kursk region. According to Budanov, it is unclear where the remaining North Korean troops will go.

“We don’t have the full picture right now,” said Budanov.

As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that North Korean officers are already in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and are training Russian soldiers.