North Korean troops entered combat for the first time in Russia’s Kursk region, US officials said

WASHINGTON – North Korean troops have engaged in combat for the first time in recent days in the Russian Kursk region, two U.S. officials told Reuters on November 6.

One of the officials, who wished to remain anonymous, said they took part in the battle on November 4.

Officials did not say whether there were any North Korean casualties or provide additional details about the battle.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on November 5 that the first fighting had begun between the Ukrainian military and North Korean troops. “open a new page of instability in the world” after his defense minister said there had been a “minor clash”.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed in an interview with South Korean television that the first clash was with North Korean troops, an apparent escalation of the conflict that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon said there were at least 10,000 North Korean troops in Kursk, adding that there were between 11,000 and 12,000 troops in Russia overall. REUTERS