First clash between Ukrainian, N. Korean forces reported in Kursk region – FT

This was reported by the Financial Times via Ukrinform.

According to the report, Ukrainian officials announced on Monday that their forces engaged North Korean soldiers in combat for the first time since their deployment by Russia to the Kursk region.

This marks the first direct involvement of a foreign military since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, further intensifying what is now the largest land war in Europe since World War II.

“The first North Korean troops have already come under fire in Kursk region,” Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation said on Telegram. A senior Ukrainian intelligence official confirmed the involvement of North Korean troops to the FT, though no further details were provided.

In Kyiv, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha discussed the “need for decisive action” with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, in response to North Korea’s deepening involvement in the conflict.

“We urge Europe to recognize that DPRK troops are now waging an aggressive war in Europe against a sovereign European state,” Sybiha said at a press conference.

On Monday, the U.S. reprimanded Russia and China at the UN Security Council, condemning them for “shamelessly defending” and encouraging North Korea’s actions. South Korea and the EU also criticized the deployment of DPRK troops, expressing concerns that Russia might reward North Korea with nuclear and ballistic missile technology.

Another senior Ukrainian official told the FT that Moscow is already supplying Pyongyang with military technology to support its missile programs, as well as financial resources.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui at the Kremlin. Choe conveyed greetings from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and signed a security cooperation agreement with Putin in June, including a clause on mutual assistance in security.

Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency recently stated that Russia has armed North Korean troops in Kursk with 60-mm mortars, rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank guided missiles, and shoulder-launched anti-tank missile systems.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, some North Korean soldiers were also equipped with night vision devices and thermal imagers. Several hundred North Korean special forces were also reportedly deployed to Kursk.

Ukrainian officials and military analysts have raised concerns about the quality and combat effectiveness of North Korean troops, describing most as inexperienced soldiers. “We’ll soon find out how capable they are in combat,” one official noted.

As reported by Ukrinform earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about reports of North Korean troops being deployed in Russia to participate in the conflict against Ukraine.