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| An oil facility in the Oryol region of Russia caught fire after a Ukrainian attack | Photo: Reuters |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia has begun using troops from its ally North Korea for the first time in the war in Ukraine.
On Saturday, Zelensky said that for the first time, North Korean troops had joined Russian assults in attacking Ukrainian troops fighting to retain Russia's Kursk region.
Zelensky said in his regular wartime address that they had received initial information that a significant number of North Korean troops had participated in the attack on Ukrainian forces alongside Russian forces.
The Ukrainian president added that North Korean troops are working with combined units of the Russian army and are currently only participating in the Kursk battlefield. "The information we have indicates that North Korean troops can be used in other battlefields as well," he said.
Although North Korean troops have participated in the fighting against Ukrainian troops, they have not yet entered Ukrainian territory.
The Ukrainian president said the active participation of North Korean troops in the war had created new tensions. He called for renewed support for Kiev from Western allies in this situation. He said he would discuss the issue with European partners next week.
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied reports that North Korean troops are participating with Russian forces in the fight against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff said that Russia has significantly increased its attacks in the Kursk region, including airstrikes, the use of glide bombs and more than 200 artillery strikes.
Andriy Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, claimed that North Korean troops suffered losses in the battle, but he did not give a specific estimate of the losses.