North Korean troops have engaged in combat in Russia's war against Ukraine, facing Ukrainian forces for the first time, who occupy a significant part of Russia's Kursk region, writes The New York Times citing a senior Ukrainian official and a senior American official.
According to the Ukrainian official, the clash was limited and likely aimed at finding weak spots in the Ukrainian line. DPRK troops fought alongside the Russian 810th Separate Marine Brigade. An American official told the publication that a «significant number» of North Korean soldiers were killed.
The North Korean military is part of a contingent of about 10,000 soldiers, which, according to Ukrainian and Western officials, was sent by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un to support Russian troops trying to oust Ukrainians from the Kursk region. Although the majority of North Korean troops have not yet engaged in combat, Western and Ukrainian officials have called their appearance on the battlefield a serious escalation after more than two years of war.
In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that North Korean troops had engaged in combat and urged Ukraine's allies to provide assistance in confronting this new threat. «The first battles with North Korean soldiers mark a new chapter of global instability», — he said.
As NYT writes, most of the remaining forces may engage in combat in the coming days. According to sources, North Korean troops were divided into two units: one consisting of assault squads, and the other of support units that will organize the defense of territory reclaimed from Ukrainian forces.
According to American and South Korean officials, in addition to its troops, North Korea has provided Russia with 16,000 shipping containers of artillery shells and rockets since the summer of 2023. In June, Putin met with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, where they signed a mutual defense and military cooperation agreement.
Photo: Insider Ukraine