A senior Ukrainian defense ministry official says the first group of North Korean troops is expected to arrive in Russia's western region of Kursk on Wednesday. He says they will help Russian forces in their defense against Ukraine's ongoing incursion in the region.

The head of Ukraine's defense intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, spoke in a media interview on Tuesday.

He said Ukraine will see in a couple of days how many North Korean troops will be deployed in Kursk and how they will be equipped.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that North Korea is believed to have sent another batch of around 1,500 soldiers to Russia following its dispatch of about the same number of troops earlier this month.

The agency also said Pyongyang is expected to send a total of 10,000 troops to Russia by around December. This number includes approximately 3,000 already dispatched.

The agency added that the Russian military prepared many interpreters for the dispatched North Korean soldiers and gave instructions on how to operate drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his speech to the nation on Tuesday that if North Korea can intervene in the war in Europe, then the pressure on Pyongyang is definitely not strong enough.