The Ukrainian military and North Korean forces have reportedly encountered each other for the first time in Kursk, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate.

This is reported by the publication Financial Times

A high-ranking representative of Ukrainian intelligence has confirmed military actions but refused to provide specific details about the first combat encounter between Ukrainian forces and North Korea.

According to the GUR, the clash occurred in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine controls approximately 600 square kilometers of territory, which is just over half of what it previously held after the summer invasion.

Over the weekend, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine announced that the Russian Federation has armed North Korean troops in Kursk with 60-mm mortars, assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank guided missiles, and shoulder-fired anti-tank missile systems.

The GUR reported that some soldiers were also equipped with night vision devices and thermal imaging cameras. Additionally, several hundred North Korean special forces personnel were involved in Kursk.

The head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the NSDC, Andriy Kovalенко, stated on Telegram that "the first military units of the DPRK have already come under fire in Kursk."

Ukrainian officials and military analysts are raising questions about the quality and combat readiness of North Korean troops, most of whom are described as inexperienced soldiers. "We will soon find out" how well they can fight, stated one official.

Another senior Ukrainian official reported that Moscow is already providing Pyongyang with military technologies to assist in implementing its missile programs, as well as "money".

On Monday, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin held a meeting in the Kremlin with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.

Choe stated that North Korea "has no doubts that under the wise leadership of Vladimir Putin, the Russian army and people will undoubtedly achieve a great victory in their sacred struggle for the protection of their sovereign rights and the security of their state."

Putin did not confirm the deployment of North Korean troops, although he hinted that it falls under the provisions of the security treaty between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.

Earlier, it was reported that North Korea transferred about 10,000 troops to the Russian Federation, but these forces will face several challenges on the front.

According to South Korean intelligence, the agreement between the DPRK and the Russian Federation provides for the supply of 600-700 tons of rice per year to North Koreans, a salary of $2,000 for North Korean military personnel involved against Ukraine, space technologies, as well as arrangements for the Russian Federation to participate in combat operations on the Korean Peninsula in the event of war.

The enemy has deployed more than 11,000 North Korean troops to the Kursk region. There has been no response from partners regarding this escalation, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated.

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