According to military intelligence, Russia is transporting North Korean troops to the front in civilian trucks

Russia is transporting North Korean soldiers to the front in trucks with civilian license plates, Ukrainian Military Intelligence (HUR) reported on October 27.

The announcement follows reports from American and Ukrainian officials that a contingent of North Korean troops was heading to Russia's Kursk Oblast to help Moscow counter Ukraine's offensive in the region.

Russian police officers stopped a Kamaz truck with civilian license plates on the Kursk-Voronezh highway on October 27, HUR said via its official Telegram channel. The vehicle was reportedly loaded with North Korean military personnel, but the driver did not have documented combat orders.

In an intercepted radio communication, officers of Russia's 810th Separate Marine Brigade try to clarify the problem with the stopped truck, according to an audio recording published by HUR. The unit expected North Korean reinforcements via the Kamaz truck.

In the audio recording, officers discuss why the truck was stopped on the Kursk-Voronezh highway and why the driver did not have proper documents.

The HUR report indicates that North Korean troops are on their way to Russian units, which coincides with President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement on October 25 that Russia plans to send the first North Korean soldiers to Russia on October 27 and 28 to send to a combat zone.

While Russia and North Korea initially dismissed Ukraine's reports of North Korean troops entering the war, the leaders of both countries have changed their language in recent days, moving from denial to justification.

Russian President Vladimir Putin indirectly acknowledged the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia on October 24, responding to claims about satellite imagery: “If there are images, they reflect something,” referring to Pyongyang's defense contract with Moscow.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said on October 25 that any decision to send troops to Russia would be in accordance with international law.

Estimates vary about the number of North Korean troops deployed to the Ukrainian-Russian front line. U.S. officials estimated that around 3,000 North Korean soldiers were training there Russiabut National Security Council spokesman John Kirby suggested the total could now be higher.

South Korean intelligence has informed lawmakers that the number of North Korean troops in Russia could reach 10,000 by December, while Kiev said Pyongyang had deployed almost 12,000 soldiers to Russia, including 500 officers and three generals.