Ukraine Confirms First Clashes With North Korean Troops Supporting Russia

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed on November 5 that Ukrainian forces have engaged in combat with North Korean troops for the first time following Pyongyang’s deployment of forces to assist Russia.

The minister made these remarks during an interview with South Korean media.

When asked if North Korea's involvement marks its official entry into the war, Umerov replied, “Yes, I think so. There have been clashes. We expect more engagements in the coming weeks,” he added.

Umerov noted that “small-scale clashes” had taken place between Ukrainian forces and North Korean soldiers, though he did not provide further details.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, stated on November 4 that North Korean troops had “already come under fire” in Russia’s Kursk region.

In his evening address on November 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced an increase in the number of troops from the DPRK in the Kursk region. According to him, there are currently 11,000 North Korean soldiers in the region.