The first North Korean troops deployed in the Kursk region of Russia to support Moscow’s military operations came under fire. This was announced on 4 November by Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Department for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine. Kovalenko did not provide details about the nature of the clash or possible losses among North Korean soldiers, The Kyiv Independent reports .

Situation at the border: presence of foreign military

North Korea’s involvement in the fighting on the side of Russia has become a confirmed fact. As US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken noted during a press conference on 31 October, about 8,000 North Korean troops are deployed in the Kursk region to support Russian defence. This is due to the escalation of the situation on the border: since August, Ukrainian forces have been actively attacking this territory, where the Russian army is strengthening its defences with North Korean units, while the most experienced Russian troops remain in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine is preparing to meet new adversaries

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if Ukraine had permission to use Western long-range weapons on Russian territory, it could launch preventive strikes on all military camps where North Korean troops are gathering. He also noted that the Russian side had officially confirmed to its Western partners the presence of North Korean units in the fighting on its side.

Kyiv has recently been actively warning that North Korean soldiers will be deployed to the frontline in the coming days. According to Ukraine’s estimates, Russia intends to send up to 12,000 North Korean troops to the front, including special forces.