{"id":114208,"date":"2024-11-06T09:57:30","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T09:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-reports-first-clashes-with-north-korean-troops-on-frontline-latest-news-the-independent\/"},"modified":"2024-11-06T09:57:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T09:57:30","slug":"ukraine-reports-first-clashes-with-north-korean-troops-on-frontline-latest-news-the-independent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-reports-first-clashes-with-north-korean-troops-on-frontline-latest-news-the-independent\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine reports first clashes with North Korean troops on frontline – latest news – The Independent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in<\/span>Please refresh your browser to be logged in<\/span>
Mr Zelensky calls on Mr Trump to help bring a \u2018just peace\u2019 for Ukraine if he gets into the White House
Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium<\/a> section, under my profile
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> has congratulated Donald Trump<\/a>, who is set for a return to the White House<\/a>, and urged the Republican<\/a> to keep supporting Kyiv againt Vladimir Putin\u2019s invasion<\/a>.
With concerns rising that support for Ukraine<\/a> could diminish under a second Trump administration, Mr Zelensky praised Mr Trump’s “peace through strength” philosophy, calling it t a just peace for Ukraine. Mr Trump has said he would look to end the Ukraine war as soon as possible, with Kyiv wary that he will push for it to give up territory to Moscow.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has reported \u201csmall-scale\u201d clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk<\/a>, marking their first battlefield confrontation with Kim Jong Un<\/a>\u2019s soldiers, Ukraine\u2019s defence minister Rustem Umerov said.
Mr Zelensky has said \u201cthe first battles with North Korean soldiers open a new page of instability in the world\u201d. US, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments say up to 12,000 North Korean combat troops are being sent by Pyongyang to Russia for deployment on the frontline in Ukraine under a pact with Moscow.
The Kremlin has said that the United States remains an \u201cunfriendly\u201d country towards Russia.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that there are no plans for President Vladimir Putin to congratulate Donald Trump on any potential election victory.
Mr Peskov\u2019s comments came as he discussed Moscow\u2019s cautious approach to the changing political landscape in the US, noting that Russia is closely monitoring the statements made by American politicians.
\u201cOur relations with the United States are at a historic low,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cIt is practically impossible for them to get any worse.\u201d
The spokesperson acknowledged that the US has the capacity to change its foreign policy approach, but he added that Moscow would wait until January, when Trump is set to take office (assuming he wins the election), to see if there would be any shift in direction.
Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has ratified a military agreement with North Korea that promises mutual assistance in the event of an attack.
The treaty, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang in June, states that both countries would provide military support “by all means” if either is attacked.
The deal marks the most significant military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang since the Cold War.
The treaty had already been ratified by the lower house, the State Duma, on 24 October.
This comes amid growing concerns over North Korean involvement in Russia\u2019s military efforts in Ukraine.
On Monday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed reports that up to 10,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia\u2019s Kursk region.
These troops are reportedly preparing to join Russian forces in Ukraine, marking the first large-scale deployment of North Korean forces in a foreign conflict since the Korean War in 1950.
Prominent Russian nationalist and former militia commander Igor Girkin has lost his appeal against a four-year prison sentence, the Supreme Court ruled.
Girkin, who rose to notoriety under the nickname Igor Strelkov during the fighting in eastern Ukraine nearly a decade ago, was convicted in January by a Moscow court for inciting extremism – a charge he has denied.
The former top military commander of the self-proclaimed \u201cDonetsk People\u2019s Republic\u201d became a controversial figure after publicly criticising President Vladimir Putin and the Russian military’s handling of the war in Ukraine.
Despite Girkin’s appeal, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence.
The G7, involving some of the world\u2019s richest nations, have made clear that they believe the reports of\u00a0thousands of North Korean troops\u00a0being used to\u00a0bolster Russian forces\u00a0in Ukraine show Vladimir Putin\u2019s \u201cdesperation\u201d to\u00a0compensate for losses\u00a0on the frontline.
Putin\u2019s forces are believed to be losing hundreds of troops a day, with Ukrainian estimates going as high as 1,200 to 1,500, so the more than 10,000 troops South Korea believes are in Russia would last two weeks or so at that rate.
\u201cIn the big picture, even 12,000 soldiers don\u2019t affect the general situation of the war significantly,\u201d says Emil Kastehelmi, who runs the Black Bird Group, which tracks the war in Ukraine.
The troops are already under fire, being shelled in the Russian border region of Kursk, according to Kyiv. That is the area where Ukrainian troops have held territory, having started a daring raid in August.
It is clear what\u00a0Vladimir Putin\u00a0gains from thousands of\u00a0North Korean troops joining\u00a0Russia\u2019s\u00a0prolonged war in\u00a0Ukraine.
But the motivation behind\u00a0Kim Jong-un\u00a0sending young and inexperienced soldiers into a battle that will enter its third winter this year is less apparent.
Read the full analysis below:<\/em>
A lot is at stake for North Korea\u2019s leader as he sends young, inexperienced recruits to join Vladimir Putin\u2019s war in Ukraine
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Donald Trump on his expected victory in the US presidential election, hoping for a \u201cstrong bipartisan support\u201d his country in its fight against Russia.
It comes after concerns were voiced among Ukraine\u2019s allies that US support for Ukraine could wane under a Trump presidency.
Mr Zelensky said: \u201cI appreciate president Trump\u2019s commitment to the \u2018peace through strength\u2019 approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.
\u201cWe look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump\u2019s decisive leadership.
\u201cWe rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States. We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations.
\u201cUkraine, as one of Europe\u2019s strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the transatlantic community with the support of our allies.
\u201cI am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine\u2019s strategic partnership with the United States.\u201d
The upper house of Russia\u2019s parliament, the Federation Council, has voted in favour of ratifying a treaty of partnership between Russia and North Korea.
Last month, Russian lawmakers in the lower house ratified the treaty of mutual defence<\/a> with North Korea<\/a> by voting 397-0 to endorse the \u201ccomprehensive strategic partnership\u201d treaty which obliges Russia and North Korea to immediately provide military assistance using \u201call means\u201d if either is attacked.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed the treaty, which includes a mutual defence clause, during Putin\u2019s visit to Pyongyang in June.
Russia and North Korea have deepened cooperation since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, with South Korea, Ukraine and the United States saying North Korean troops are on the ground in Russia and preparing to deploy in support of Russia.
Moscow has neither denied not confirmed that.
Russia has launched 4,300 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones on Ukraine over the past three months, Ukraine has said.
Kyiv claims their air defence destroyed 71% of them but 5% made direct hits.
In addition, the Air Force\u2019s daily reports mark some of them as \u201cdisappeared from radar\u201d, which means some of the drones were either subject to countermeasures by electronic warfare units or failed to reach their targets
North Korean troops engaged in clashes against Ukrainian forces that are fighting in the Russian Kursk region, the New York Times<\/em> reported late last night, citing an unnamed senior US official and an unnamed senior Ukrainian official.
The engagement was limited and likely meant to probe the Ukrainian lines for weaknesses, the Ukrainian official said. The Ukrainian official added that the North Korean troops fought together with Russia\u2019s 810 Separate Naval Infantry Brigade.
The US official told the newspaper that a significant number of North Korean troops were killed.
The office of Ukraine\u2019s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian defence ministry, the Russian defence ministry, the Pentagon and the US Department of State have not issued a comment on the report.
Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the first clash, describing it as a \u201csmall-scale\u201d skirmish, had taken place between Ukrainian and North Korean troops.
\u201cYes, I think so. It is (an) engagement,\u201d Mr Umerov told South Korea\u2019s KBS television in an interview broadcast yesterday, when asked if a clash had occurred. He said the engagement was small for now, but more are expected as the number of North Koreans deployed grows.
Ukrainian troops launched an incursion into Russia\u2019s border Kursk region on 6 August, taking a number of settlements under control in the first such deployment onto the Russian territory since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in<\/span>Please refresh your browser to be logged in<\/span>
Log in
New to The Independent?
Or if you would prefer: