KYIV — North Korean troops have entered the fight in Russia's war against Ukraine, clashing for the first time with Ukrainian forces who are occupying a large chunk of Russia's Kursk region, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing a senior Ukrainian and a senior United States official.
The Ukrainian official offered no details about casualties, but the US official said a significant number of North Korean troops were killed, according to the newspaper.
The engagement was limited, and the North Koreans fought together with a Russian naval infantry brigade, according to the Ukrainian official, the newspaper reported, adding it was unclear when the fighting took place.
In a statement released Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "The first battles with North Korean soldiers open a new page of instability in the world."
The president called for support for his country's defence, saying the world needs to make the "Russian step to expand the war" a "failure." He did not provide details about the encounter with North Korean troops.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed in an interview run by South Korean public broadcaster KBS on Tuesday that his country's military had engaged for the first time with North Korean troops.
Zelenskyy, who is seeking to shore up support in the war against Russia, said in the statement, "Terror, unfortunately, can spread like a virus when it does not meet sufficient counteraction."
Zelenskyy said Monday that 11,000 North Korean troops have completed training in Russia's Far East and been sent to Russia's western region of Kursk near Ukraine.
The Ukrainian official quoted by the US newspaper said many of the North Korean troops in the Kursk region could enter the fight in the coming days.
Russia and North Korea have stepped up military cooperation since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
They signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in June during Russian President Vladimir Putin's rare visit to Pyongyang. The treaty includes a provision for mutual assistance if either of them comes under attack.
This picture taken on Oct 2, 2024, and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS shows troops taking part in training at a base of the Korean People's Army's special operations forces in the western region, at an undisclosed location in North Korea.
