First North Korean troops come under fire in Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian official claims
The first North Korean soldiers stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast to aid Moscow's war have come under fire, Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, reported on Nov. 4.
The official did not provide any more details on the circumstances of the engagement or possible losses on the North Korean side.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Some 8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast to participate in the war against Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference on Oct. 31.
The Russian border region has seen heavy battles since Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive in early August. Moscow has deployed North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast to reinforce the defenses there while its most experienced units continue advancing in Ukraine's east.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that if Ukraine had permission to use Western long-range weapons on Russian territory, it could preemptively target "every camp" in Russia where North Korean troops are gathering.
Recently, Kyiv has been issuing warnings that the deployment of North Korean troops in combat is only a matter of days. Ukraine believes that Russia is preparing to send 12,000 North Korean soldiers to join its war, including special forces.
According to Zelensky, Russia has confirmed to the West the involvement of Pyongyang's forces in the war.
Chris York
