"The first North Korean troops have already come under fire in Kursk Oblast," Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation said on Telegram, per The New Voice of Ukraine's translation. This suggests that combat engagement may escalate as these troops are reportedly in the area.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that 8,000 North Korean troops had been moved to Kursk, and he predicted that they would enter the fighting shortly. His statement indicates imminent involvement of these forces.
At the same briefing, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that if North Korean troops took part in fighting or provided combat support they would become "legitimate military targets." This establishes the potential consequences of North Korea's involvement.
An unnamed senior Ukrainian intelligence official later confirmed the report to the Financial Times but declined to provide further details. This reflects the sensitive nature of intelligence around foreign troop involvement.
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