Zelensky says Russia has 50,000 troops in Kursk

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Russia has deployed 50,000 troops in the Kursk region of Russia, a move that he believes is limiting Moscow’s ability to launch further attacks inside Ukraine. In his daily address to the nation, Zelensky highlighted that Ukraine’s ongoing incursion into Kursk is proving effective in tying down a significant portion of Russian forces, preventing them from being used in other areas of the war.

The Ukrainian president had previously emphasized that one of the key objectives of this operation was to weaken Russia’s offensive capabilities, a goal that has been met with skepticism from some of Ukraine’s Western allies. According to the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, Russia had only 11,000 troops in Kursk when Ukraine began its surprise incursion in early August. However, recent reports suggest that Moscow has managed to significantly increase its military presence in the region without redeploying troops from Ukraine’s frontlines.

A report in The New York Times suggests that Russia’s troop build-up in Kursk has been achieved by deploying North Korean forces, with some sources indicating that over 10,000 North Korean soldiers may have been sent to support Russia’s efforts. These additional troops are reportedly being readied for a potential counter-offensive. While the Kremlin has not officially confirmed or denied the presence of North Korean soldiers, both Ukraine and the United States believe that Pyongyang has been providing significant military support to Moscow.

In his address, Zelensky shared an update from Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyy, who had recently inspected Ukrainian forces deployed in Kursk. “Our men are holding back 50,000 of the occupier’s army personnel,” Zelensky said. “These troops, due to the operation in Kursk, cannot be deployed to other Russian offensive directions on our territory.”

General Syrskyy elaborated on the strategic importance of the operation, stating that without Ukraine’s presence in Kursk, Russian assault units would have likely been deployed to intensify attacks on Ukrainian positions in the Donetsk region. Donetsk has been a major battleground since the start of the conflict, with both sides engaging in fierce fighting.

Fighting continues to rage in Donetsk, where accusations from both sides emerged on Monday over the alleged damage to a dam near the Ukrainian-held town of Kurakhove. Russia’s forces have been making slow but steady progress in the region, edging closer to the vital supply hub of Pokrovsk, a key city for Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine.

The troop buildup in Kursk is seen as part of Russia’s strategy to prepare for a counter-offensive. According to the New York Times, which cites both US and Ukrainian officials, the total number of Russian and North Korean troops poised for action in Kursk is around 50,000. The report also mentions that Moscow has managed to assemble this force without withdrawing soldiers from its eastern front, allowing it to maintain pressure on multiple fronts in Ukraine.

Moscow’s ability to bolster its forces in Kursk without reducing its presence in eastern Ukraine could signal a shift in Russian military strategy, allowing Russia to keep fighting on multiple fronts. Meanwhile, the US has continued to monitor the situation closely, as both Washington and Kyiv express concerns over North Korea’s increasing role in supporting Russian military efforts.

North Korea and Russia have grown closer in recent years, especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which led to Moscow’s increasing international isolation. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently signed a mutual defense treaty with Russia, which was ratified after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang. The US has accused North Korea of providing significant military hardware to Russia, including ballistic missiles and launchers, in exchange for technology and other support that helps Pyongyang circumvent international sanctions.

The growing military ties between Russia and North Korea have raised alarm in the West. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently suggested that Russia has been supplying North Korea with military technology to help the country evade sanctions. This development adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing conflict and may have significant implications for regional and global security.

In the midst of these developments, speculation over the future of US support for Ukraine has intensified following Donald Trump’s re-election victory last week. The Kremlin has denied media reports claiming that Trump had a phone call with Putin, reportedly warning the Russian leader against escalating the war in Ukraine. While Trump’s team has declined to comment on the report, the situation remains fluid, with many wondering how a second Trump presidency might affect US foreign policy and its commitment to Ukraine.

As the war in Ukraine continues, the presence of 50,000 Russian troops in Kursk highlights the ongoing strategic importance of the region. With Ukraine’s forces holding their ground, Moscow’s military priorities appear to be stretched thin, even as Russia prepares for a potential counter-offensive with the help of North Korean forces. The conflict remains unpredictable, with the outcome of battles in both Kursk and Donetsk potentially shaping the broader course of the war.