North Korean troops They have confronted Ukrainian forces for the first time that occupy a large part of the Russian Kursk region, at least that’s what the New York Times based on statements by a Ukrainian official and an American who have spoken on condition of anonymity because of sensitive military information.
According to the Ukrainian source, the confrontation was limited and probably their objective was to probe the Ukrainian lines for weak points. The North Koreans fought alongside Russia’s 810th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade, although It is not clear when the fighting occurred.
The Ukrainian official has not offered details about the casualties, but the US source has said that a significant number of North Korean troops were killed.
The North Korean troops are part of what Ukrainian and Western officials estimate to be a contingent of about 10,000 soldiers sent by the North’s leader, Kim Jong-unto reinforce Russian forces trying to evict Ukrainians from the Kursk region.
Ukrainian forces currently control about 250 square kilometers there after an incursion that began last summer.
Although the bulk of North Korean troops have not yet gone into action, Western and Ukrainian authorities have described their appearance on the battlefield as a major escalation after more than two years of war.
In his evening speech, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky seemed to confirm that North Korean forces had entered combatand called on Ukraine’s allies to help confront this new threat.
“The first battles with North Korean soldiers mark a new chapter of global instability,” he said. “Together with the world, we must do everything possible to ensure that this Russian step towards expanding the war – this true escalation – becomes a loss.”
In addition to his troops, North Korea has provided Russia with 16,000 shipping containers full of artillery shellsrockets and missiles from the summer of 2023, according to US and South Korean officials. In June, Putin met with Kim in Pyongyang, where they reestablished a Cold War-era treaty of mutual defense and military cooperation between their countries.