North Korean soldiers participated in combat in Russia’s Kursk region on November 4, marking their first involvement in the ongoing conflict. US officials reported that North Korean troops engaged in fighting, though details on casualties or the nature of the combat were not immediately available.
Ukrainian officials confirmed the encounter, with Defence Minister Rustem Umerov noting that it was a “small engagement” between Ukrainian forces and a limited group of North Korean soldiers. Ukraine claims that around 11,000 North Korean troops are stationed in the Kursk border region, an area where Ukrainian forces are also deployed.
The participation of North Korean troops in Russia’s war has been speculated in recent weeks, following intelligence from South Korea, the US, and NATO. However, Moscow and Pyongyang have not officially responded to these claims. Ukraine’s counter-disinformation official Andriy Kovalenko had reported on Monday that North Korean military units were under fire in the region.
While most of the North Korean soldiers are still in training, Umerov stated that they are being integrated into Russian military units and deployed on the front lines. It is expected that up to five units, each with 3,000 soldiers, will be engaged in future operations. The full scale of North Korea’s involvement remains unclear as the conflict continues to evolve.
