Ukraine Announces It Attacked North Korean Soldiers for the First Time

• Ukrainian officials said North Korean troops came under fire after Russia joined the war.
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that 8,000 North Koreans were sent to Kursk.
• The Pentagon says engaging North Korean troops would make them a fair target in war.

North Korean troops have already seen military action in Russia’s Kursk region, Ukrainian officials said Monday.

“The first North Korean troops have already come under fire in the Kursk Oblast,” said Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Combating Disinformation. He said on Telegram, According to the New Voice of Ukraine translation.

An unnamed senior Ukrainian intelligence official later confirmed the report to the Financial Times but refused to provide further details.

Ukrainian troops have held large areas of Kursk since early August after Kiev launched a surprise cross-border offensive in the area.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in question 8,000 North Korean soldiers deployed moved to Kursk and predicted that they would soon come into conflict.

“We have not yet seen these troops engage in combat against Ukrainian forces, but we expect that to happen in the coming days,” he said.

At the same briefing, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said North Korean troops would become “legitimate military targets” if they participated in hostilities or provided combat support.

Kovalenko’s statement on Monday was the first to suggest that North Korean troops were now actively fighting alongside Russian troops and against Ukraine.

US Air Force Major General Pat Ryder in question At a briefing at the Pentagon on Monday, the US was said to be “reviewing” the reports.

Last month, South Korean intelligence announced that there were 1,500 North Korean soldiers. was sent to Russia for training and possibly deployment in combat.

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This follows the deepening of ties between Moscow and Pyongyang following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

On Saturday, Ukrainian intelligence shared the details. Military equipment that Russia said it gave to North Korean troops, including mortars, rifles, and machine guns.

North Korea experts say partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang continues mutual benefit: While Russia is receiving the soldiers it desperately needs, Kim Jong Un will most likely obtain economic support and military information for his country from the agreements he made with Russia.

Representatives from the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Ukrainian Defense Intelligence did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.