22.  "We are waiting for the first units tomorrow in the Kursk direction," Budanov said, though he did not specify how many would be deployed. "We will see after a couple of days."Budanov's statement follows reports that Moscow is planning to involve Pyongyang in the full-scale war against Ukraine in the coming months, with around 10,000 North Korean soldiers preparing to join the Russian army. Budanov said earlier in October that the first group of 2,600 soldiers would be deployed to Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incursion in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.North Korea has denied sending troops to join Russia's war in Ukraine, calling the recent reports "groundless rumors." Despite the denials, reports of increased military involvement continue to mount.