Ukraine’s top officials have confirmed that North Korean soldiers have clashed with Ukrainian troops for the first time, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov revealed in an interview with South Korean broadcaster KBS that a “small group” of North Korean soldiers were attacked.
Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the West’s lack of response to the North Korean troops, stating that these “first battles with North Korea open a new chapter of instability in the world.” However, Seoul disputed the nature of the engagement, saying it “does not believe [troops on both sides] engaged in direct combat,” but rather that there was an “incident” involving a small number of North Korean soldiers “near the frontline.”
Estimates suggest around 11,000 North Korean soldiers are stationed in the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian troops have a foothold. This development has raised concerns, with South Korean and US intelligence, as well as NATO, reporting evidence of North Korean involvement in Russia’s war ¹. Moscow and Pyongyang have yet to respond directly to these allegations.
Andriy Kovalenko, Ukraine’s top counter-disinformation official, initially reported that North Korea’s “first military units… [had] already come under fire in Kursk” via Telegram. Defence Minister Umerov confirmed this, anticipating a “significant number” of North Korean troops will be engaged in combat, though describing it as “so far just small contacts, not full-scale engagement.”
Umerov detailed that the North Korean soldiers are wearing Russian uniforms, undergoing tactical training, and being deployed under various Russian army commands on the front lines. He expects five units of approximately 3,000 soldiers each to be deployed across the battlefield.
In a video address, Zelensky urged Ukraine and the world to make Russia’s expansion of the war “a failure” for both Russia and North Korea. This development has heightened tensions between North and South Korea, with Seoul summoning Russia’s ambassador to demand the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Ukraine and considering direct arms supplies to Ukraine.
Analysts speculate that Pyongyang may receive payment or access to Russian military technology in exchange for its troops. Russian lawmakers are set to vote on a mutual defence treaty with North Korea, proposed during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June, which pledges mutual assistance in case of “aggression” against either country.
