Russia May Swap Up to 20,000 Border Troops for North Koreans to Reinforce Front
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · Aug 17
Russia May Swap Up to 20,000 Border Troops for North Koreans to Reinforce Front
2 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · Aug 17
Summary
Up to 20,000 combat-ready Russian troops on border duty could be redeployed to the war’s hottest sectors, with North Korean soldiers taking their places, Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Bratchuk said.
Bratchuk said the move would let the Kremlin free exclusively Russian units from border regions for frontline use as Moscow tries to sustain pressure despite heavy losses.
Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this month that North Korea plans to station 30,000 to 50,000 troops in Russia, alongside reported arms transfers and possible missile-launcher deployments near Ukraine.
Ukraine says Russia lost about 43,000 troops in July, while its foreign intelligence service estimated recruitment at 1,070 to 1,090 a day—below battlefield losses and adding to pressure on Moscow’s manpower.