Ukraine attacks North Korea troops near Russia border, says official

‘The first North Korean troops have already come under fire in the Kursk region,’ a Ukrainian official said on the Telegram messaging platform

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A Russian soldier aims from a bunker in the Kursk region of Russia. President Putin’s attack on Ukraine began in February 2022. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service photo via AP

Published: 5:55am, 4 Nov 2024Updated: 11:39pm, 4 Nov 2024

Ukraine has attacked North Korean troops for the first time since they were deployed in the Russian border region where Kyiv’s forces have been holding territory since August.

“The first North Korean troops have already come under fire in the Kursk region,” Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation, which is part of the country’s National Security and Defense committee, said on the Telegram messaging app on Monday, without elaborating.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he had discussed the “need for decisive action” with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in response to North Korean involvement in the war.

“We urge Europe to realize that the DPRK troops are now carrying an aggressive war in Europe against a sovereign European state,” he said after meeting with Baerbock in Kyiv.

On Sunday, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about reports that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and at their possible deployment to Ukraine.

02:07

Ukraine releases video purportedly showing North Korean soldiers in Russia

“The secretary general is very concerned about reports of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea being sent to the Russian Federation, including their possible deployment to the conflict zone,” said Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief’s spokesman.