Additional Coverage:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that Ukrainian forces have engaged in their first military encounter with North Korean troops supporting Russia in the ongoing war.
Zelenskyy warned that Russia aims to escalate the conflict, which has already lasted nearly 1,000 days. Kyiv officials confirmed that Ukraine’s army attacked North Korean soldiers in the Russian border region of Kursk.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry estimates that over 10,000 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia, with many deployed in frontline areas. Ukraine’s Defense Minister reported a “small engagement” with the troops but emphasized that it was not yet a systematic mobilization.
Zelenskyy expressed concern that North Korea’s involvement in the war could destabilize Asia and questioned China’s silence on the matter. He called on South Korea to increase its involvement in the conflict, citing the threat posed by North Korea’s artillery and missiles.
Russia is reportedly facing its highest casualty rate since the war began, with around 1,200 soldiers killed daily. Despite the losses, there are no signs of an imminent end to the conflict.
North Korea has also launched a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles into the sea and tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. The United States responded with a trilateral drill involving B-1B bombers with South Korea and Japan.