Kyiv doesn't rule out North Korean participation in Russia's assault on Sumy, Kharkiv oblasts

Ukraine does not rule out the possibility that Russia will deploy North Korean troops in the offensives against the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Andrii Cherniak, spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), told Japanese broadcaster NHK in comments published on April 15.

The warning follows a statement from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who said on April 9 that Moscow's spring offensive "has actually already begun."

Cherniak said more than 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast, which borders both the Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts. Roughly 5,000 have already been killed or injured, but 6,000 remain in the region and are likely to be used in new assaults.

"Unfortunately, we can talk about the evolution, about the successful training of the North Korean military," Cherniak told NHK last week, noting that Pyongyang's forces have adopted Russian tactics of using drones and electronic warfare systems.

According to the intelligence spokesperson, North Korean troops operate in small assault groups and do not require ongoing coordination with Russian commanders.

They are instructed to "reach this or that frontier," after which they move forward independently, Cherniak explained. He added that the soldiers do not constantly communicate with the Russian side.

Cherniak warned that their battlefield experience will be transferred back to North Korea and shared with other units, reinforcing Pyongyang's capabilities and contributing to instability in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused North Korea of supporting Russia's invasion. Kyiv said Pyongyang deployed troops to Kursk last year to reinforce Moscow's lines during a cross-border offensive by Ukrainian forces.

Cherniak's comments come amid reports of other foreign fighters aiding Moscow. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 11 that "several hundred" Chinese nationals are also fighting in Russian ranks. Two were captured in Donetsk Oblast earlier this month.

Beijing has denied any direct involvement in the war, saying it has always appealed to its citizens to avoid armed conflicts.