In a late-night address on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces have engaged in their first military confrontation with North Korean troops deployed to support Russia in the ongoing war. 

While Zelenskyy did not provide specific details about the engagement, he warned of Russia’s alleged intentions to escalate the conflict, which has been raging for nearly 1,000 days. 

A Kyiv official confirmed that the Ukrainian army launched artillery fire at North Korean soldiers in .

“Terror, unfortunately, can spread like a virus when it does not meet sufficient counteraction. Now our counteraction must be sufficient, strong enough. The first battles with North Korean soldiers have opened a new chapter of instability in the world,” Zelenskyy stated in his nightly video address, expressing gratitude to Ukraine’s global allies.

“Together with the world, we must do everything so that this Russian step to expand the war with real escalation fails. Both for Russia and South Korea.”

South Korea’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that over 10,000 North Korean troops had arrived in Russia, with a significant number deployed to frontline areas, including the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces conducted a military incursion in August.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, in an interview with South Korean state television, confirmed a “small engagement” with the North Korean troops, according to Reuters. Umerov reportedly described the engagement as limited in scope and not yet part of a larger mobilization effort.

Umerov allegedly stated that five North Korean units, each comprised of approximately 3,000 soldiers, are anticipated to be deployed to the Kursk area. North Korean soldiers are reportedly integrated with Russian troops and their uniforms are designed to conceal their identity, according to The Associated Press.

Russia is  with another 2 million in reserves. Russia is currently experiencing its highest casualty rate since the war began, with an estimated 1,200 casualties reported daily, as claimed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week. Despite these significant troop losses, the war shows no signs of ending, confirming initial concerns that it would become a protracted conflict of attrition. 

Zelenskyy has repeatedly sounded the alarm about the recent deployment of North Korean troops in Russia, asserting that it poses a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the stability and security of Western-aligned nations in Asia.

“North Korea’s actions aren’t random,” Zelenskyy  with South Korea’s public broadcasting network KBS on Thursday. “They have strategic goals.”

“Their actions aren’t coincidental — they want Russia’s support in return,” he added in comments also posted to his social media account on X.

Zelenskyy has urged South Korea to play a more active role in the conflict and has highlighted that South Korea has pledged to send a team of specialists to Ukraine, where they will collaborate on defensive capabilities, including air defense, as North Korea also provides Russian with artillery and missiles.

“If South Korea wants to understand the real capabilities of North Korea and its soldiers, it would benefit them to be here, to see and analyze the reality firsthand,” he said. “Consider  [25-30 miles], the range of modern artillery, not even missiles.

“Air defenses can’t counter artillery strikes. Our own towns were obliterated by artillery. I hope South Korea never faces this, but preparation is critical,” Zelenskyy added.

Zelenskyy also questioned China’s “silence” regarding North Korea’s recent involvement in the war. 

Meanwhile,  was reported to have fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Tuesday.

The launch occurred just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a flight test of the country’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to reach the U.S. mainland. In response to this launch, the United States conducted a trilateral drill with South Korea  on Sunday, deploying a long-range B-1B bomber in a show of force.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.