REPORT: First military clash between Ukrainian and North Korean forces

Ukrainian forces have engaged in their first direct military confrontation with North Korean troops, according to Financial Times reporting based on Ukrainian intelligence sources. The incident reportedly involved Ukrainian forces shelling North Korean soldiers in the contested Kursk region, where Ukraine gained territory during its August offensive.

Ukrainian officials have declined to provide additional details, while Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder stated he could not verify these reports of combat on Russian soil.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously claimed that approximately 11,000 North Korean troops are currently deployed in the Kursk region.

The presence of North Korean forces has sparked significant international concern, particularly among G7 nations, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

These countries view the deployment as evidence of Russia's desperate attempts to compensate for its battlefield losses in Ukraine.

Western nations have also expressed serious concerns about potential transfers of nuclear and ballistic missile technology between Russia and North Korea, strongly condemning the military cooperation between the two nations.

Russia's response came through its Deputy UN Ambassador Anna Evstigneeva, who sharply criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's expression of concern about North Korean troops in Ukraine. "We were shocked by the Secretary-General's response, which plays into Western hands," Evstigneeva stated. "We have never heard him express the same level of concern about Western long-range weapons shipments to Ukraine."

Last week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Pentagon officials confirmed North Korea's military deployment to Russia for participation in the Ukrainian conflict.

U.S. President Joe Biden has also referred called North Korea's military assistance to Russia "very dangerous."

Kann News contributed to this article.