**North Korean Troops Entering Ukraine, Western Intelligence Reports**

According to two western intelligence officials, a small contingent of North Korean troops has already made its way into Ukraine. This development is expected to escalate as North Korean soldiers, who are currently completing training in eastern Russia, move toward the front lines of the conflict. This new intelligence indicates that the situation is more advanced than what NATO and the Pentagon disclosed on Monday, which is that around 10,000 North Korean troops are training in eastern Russia, with some heading to Russia's Kursk region, a territory held by Ukrainian troops since August.

One official remarked on Tuesday that it seemed many North Korean troops are already in action. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared that Ukrainian intelligence anticipated the troops would enter combat zones by Sunday. A US official mentioned that the US could not yet verify reports of North Korean troops inside Ukraine, noting that they have been slower to confirm these movements compared to South Korea.

Diplomatic and military representatives from the US and South Korea are convening in Washington, DC, this week to discuss North Korea's deployment and its growing relationship with Russia, as per State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. In a related move, top Ukrainian official Andriy Yermak was in the US capital on Tuesday for talks with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where the topic of North Korean soldiers preparing for conflict in Russia was discussed.

South Korean officials also briefed NATO allies on the North Korean deployments, hoping to encourage South Korea to start providing military assistance to Ukraine. This would be a significant shift from South Korea’s traditional stance of not supplying arms to nations engaged in warfare. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has hinted at a possible change in policy, stating that while their principle has been not to supply lethal weapons, they are open to reviewing their stance based on the level of North Korean military involvement.

Although the North Korean troops are reported to be special forces and believed by their government to possess superior combat power compared to regular Russian troops, their lack of recent combat experience—North Korea's last major conflict was more than 70 years ago—raises questions about their battlefield effectiveness. Intelligence suggests that many North Korean soldiers were deployed partly to gain combat experience, with some expected to desert upon arrival. Additionally, a language barrier poses challenges to seamless operations, with Russian troops being taught basic Russian commands for communication.

Concerns among Russian troops about the integration and command of North Korean soldiers have arisen, with intercepted communications revealing plans for an interpreter and three senior officers for every 30 North Korean troops. Estimates on the number of North Korean troops vary, with South Korean intelligence indicating around 13,000 in Russia, higher than US and UK figures. This number is expected to grow, with ongoing intelligence sharing among global allies.

Beyond personnel, North Korea has also supplied Russia with 11,000 containers of ammunition containing approximately 2 million artillery rounds since last year, according to a senior NATO official. The US has been actively urging China to use its influence over Pyongyang to pull back the North Korean troops, highlighting the destabilizing effects of such actions. However, optimism remains low that China will intervene, as it continues to be a significant supporter of Russia’s war effort, supplying dual-use goods like microelectronics and machinery that bolster Russia's defense capabilities.