Video published by Ukraine purports to show North Korean soldiers in Russia

kyiv, ukraine — 

A video purporting to amusement dozens of North Korean recruits lining up to cod Russian subject fatigues and cogwheel aims to intimidate Ukrainian forces and marks a caller section successful the 2 1/2-year warfare with the instauration of different state into the battlefield, Ukrainian officials said.

The video, which was obtained by Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which operates nether the Culture and Information Ministry, is said to amusement North Korean soldiers lasting successful enactment to prime up bags, apparel and different apparel from Russian servicemen. The Associated Press could not verify the video independently.

"We received this video from our ain sources. We cannot supply further verification from the sources who provided it to america owed to information concerns," said Ihor Solovey, caput of the center.

"The video intelligibly shows North Korean citizens being fixed Russian uniforms nether the absorption of the Russian military," helium said. "For Ukraine, this video is important due to the fact that it is the archetypal video grounds that shows North Korea participating successful the warfare connected the broadside of Russia. Now not lone with weapons and shells but besides with personnel."

The halfway claims the footage was changeable by a Russian worker successful caller days. The determination is unknown.

It comes aft the caput of Ukrainian subject intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said successful section media reports that astir 11,000 North Korean infantrymen were presently grooming successful eastbound Russia. He predicted they would beryllium acceptable to articulation the warring by November. At slightest 2,600 would beryllium sent to Russia's Kursk region, wherever Ukraine launched an incursion successful August, helium was quoted arsenic saying.

"The emergence of immoderate fig of caller soldiers is simply a occupation due to the fact that we volition simply request new, further weapons to destruct them all," Solovey told AP. "The dissemination of this video is important arsenic a awesome to the satellite assemblage that with 2 countries officially astatine warfare against Ukraine, we volition request much enactment to repel this aggression."

The beingness of North Korean soldiers successful Ukraine, if true, would beryllium different impervious of intensified subject ties betwixt Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean person Kim Jong Un. Last summer, they signed a strategical concern pact that commits some countries to supply subject assistance. North Korean weapons person already been utilized successful the Ukraine war.