First clashes occur between Ukrainian army and DPRK military in Kursk region, Ukrainian Defense Minister confirms

He said this in an interview with KBS.

According to Umerov, the clash was localized, but it should be regarded as the official start of North Korea's participation in the war against Ukraine.

The minister clarified that the North Korean military were disguised as Buryats and mixed with Russian units, so the exact number of casualties and prisoners needs to be verified before making accurate statements.

‘We are recording contacts with North Korean forces, but we believe there will be more clashes in a few weeks, and we will analyse and consider them accordingly,’ he stressed.

Umerov also said that Russia plans to deploy five North Korean battalions, each of which will consist of about 3,000 troops, along a frontline of about 1,500 kilometers. This could increase their number to 15,000 in the Kursk region.

‘The duration of the Russian exercises was a month, but now it has been reduced to a few days or a week so that North Korean troops can take part in combat operations,’ the head of the Ministry of Defense concluded.

The first information about the military clashes between the Ukrainian and North Korean military was reported by Suspilne media, citing its own sources.

At the same time, according to the sources, ‘there are no major clashes yet’.

Also, Ukrayinska Pravda, citing the Financial Times, wrote that a senior Ukrainian intelligence official confirmed military operations in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, but refused to provide specific information about the first military clash between the troops of Ukraine and the DPRK.

On November 4, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the National Security and Defense Council's Disinformation Counteraction Centre, posted on Telegram that ‘the first DPRK military units have already come under fire in Kursk’.

Military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK

On October 4, the Kyiv Post reported that 20 soldiers were killed in a missile strike on occupied Donetsk, including six North Korean military personnel advising the Russian army.

The South Korean Defense Minister warned on October 8 that North Korea may deploy troops to Ukraine in support of Russia.

At an October 17 press conference in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed Russia's plan to train 10,000 North Korean soldiers for combat in Ukraine.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, later reported that 11,000 North Korean infantrymen are training in eastern Russia, preparing for deployment to Ukraine. He added that the first unit of 2,600 soldiers is en route to Kursk, where Ukraine has established a stronghold.

Ukraine has since shared intelligence with NATO about North Korea’s military involvement and requested data from alliance members.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the participation of the North Korean military in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia would mean a “significant escalation.” 

Later, it was reported that South Korea was considering providing Ukraine with military and intelligence assistance in response to North Korea's sending its military to fight on the side of Russia.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported that on October 23, the North Korean military was spotted in the Kursk region.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that according to intelligence, the first North Korean military would be used by Russia in combat zones on October 27-28.

On October 25, South Korea's intelligence agency announced that North Korea plans to send a second batch of its military personnel to Russia, totaling up to 10,000 people.

Later, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in the Kursk region of Russia, noting that this was “a significant escalation in the DPRK's ongoing involvement in Russia's illegal war.”

During the Ukraine-Northern Europe summit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russian army is already using North Korean soldiers on the territory of Ukraine.