Ukrainian defenders have already engaged in a clash with North Korean soldiers who were deployed to Russia. It was described as a "non-scaled" incident.
This was stated by Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in an interview with KBS.
The Defense Minister noted that this clash could be seen as the official beginning of North Korea's involvement in the war against Ukraine.
However, Umerov clarified that the participation of North Korean soldiers in combat is not yet systematic.
According to the Minister, since the North Korean troops were disguised as Buryats and mixed with Russian occupiers, the exact number of casualties and prisoners must be verified before making precise statements.
"We are documenting contacts with North Korean forces, but we believe that there will be a greater number of clashes in a few weeks, and we will analyze and assess them accordingly," emphasized the official.
He mentioned that along the front line, which is approximately one and a half thousand kilometers long, five North Korean battalions will operate, each consisting of about 3,000 servicemen. Therefore, the number of North Koreans in the Kursk region could rise to 15,000.
"The duration of Russian training was a month, but it has now been reduced to a few days or a week so that North Korean troops can participate in combat operations," added Umerov.
