Ukrainian military in direct confrontation with North Koreans
In an interview with South Korean state broadcaster KBS, Ukrainian Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, confirmed on Tuesday that the Ukrainian military had already engaged in "small-scale" fighting with North Korean troops.
Umerov said the fighting, which he didn't specify the exact date or location of, marked the beginning of North Korea's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said 11,000 North Korean troops were deployed in Russia's Kursk region to support the Kremlin's military, which is trying to drive Kiev's forces into territory bordering Ukraine.
"There are already 11,000 in the Kursk region. We see an increase in the number of North Korean soldiers, but no increase in our Western partners' reactions," the leader lamented in his daily statement.
Western powers say that some 10,000 North Korean troops are in Russia and could be sent into combat in the near future. Mr Putin, who signed a military agreement with Pyongyang in June, didn't deny the deployment of North Korean troops when questioned publicly last month.
(MH with AmBar/Source: X/Photo: Kony XyzX Pexels)