Russia’s Defense Ministry on Monday released a video showing North Korean soldiers undergoing combat training in Russia, shortly after both Moscow and Pyongyang confirmed reports of North Korean involvement in the war.
The video, shared by state media, shows Russian instructors teaching the North Korean soldiers how to handle Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenade launchers and shotguns for use against drones. The footage also shows hand grenade training and combat techniques in open areas and trenches.
Military authorities did not say when the video was recorded.
The footage was released hours after President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for sending troops to assist Russian forces in reclaiming territory from Ukrainian forces in the southwestern Kursk region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that Moscow is “absolutely” ready to send Russian troops to North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang’s assistance.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA earlier reported that its soldiers fought in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion in August.
Kim said the deployment was carried out under the Russian-North Korean mutual defense treaty, according to KCNA
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