Inexperienced, poorly trained and underfed: the North Korean troops heading to Ukraine

Kim Jong-un has called his army the ‘strongest in the world’ but they are vulnerable to malnutrition, and none have seen combat or know the terrain in Russia’s war

Depending on whom you ask, they are the boost that Russian forces need to make a significant breakthrough in Ukraine, or they are simple cannon fodder, destined for repatriation in body bags.

After weeks of speculation, Nato and the Pentagon have confirmed that around 10,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, with most massing near Ukraine’s border in Kursk, where the Kremlin’s forces have struggled to repel a Ukrainian incursion.

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Inexperienced, poorly trained and underfed: the North Korean troops heading to Ukraine

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Pentagon confirms North Korean troops are training in Russia, may be sent to fight in Ukraine

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