Russia, Ukraine give conflicting Zaporizhzhia frontline accounts
ReutersNOV 12 2023
Ukrainian forces have for the first time engaged with North Korean troops deployed in Russia, a number of Ukrainian officials said this week.
In a post on Telegram on Tuesday, Andriy Kovalenko, a top Ukrainian counter-disinformation official, said: "The first military units of the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] have already come under fire in Kursk."
Those comments were followed up by Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's defense minister, who said a "small group" of North Korean soldiers were attacked in the Russian region, characterizing the engagement as "so far just small contacts, not full-scale engagement."
These combat clashes represented North Korea's direct involvement in the war, Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. This is a big escalation of the conflict and risks expanding it to much a larger dimension.
Russia has enjoyed decades of relationship and military ties with North Korea. If Russia decides to leverage this partnership in order to better defend its territory, that is its sovereign decision and is fully compliant with international law.