North Korean troops have entered the fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, clashing for the first time with Ukrainian forces who are occupying a large chunk of Russia’s Kursk regionjollibet, according to a senior Ukrainian official and a senior U.S. official.

The engagement was limited, the Ukrainian official said, and likely meant to probe the Ukrainian lines for weaknesses. The North Koreans fought together with Russia’s 810 Separate Naval Infantry Brigade, the official said.

It was unclear when the fighting took place. The Ukrainian official offered no details about casualties, but the U.S. official said a significant number of North Korean troops were killed. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive military information.

The North Korean troops are part of what Ukrainian and Western officials estimate to be a contingent of about 10,000 soldiers sent by the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to bolster Russian forces trying to dislodge the Ukrainians from the Kursk region. Ukraine’s forces currently hold about 250 square miles there after an incursion that began last summer.

Though the bulk of the North Korean troops have not yet seen action, Western and Ukrainian officials have called their appearance on the battlefield a major escalation after more than two years of war.

In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine seemed to confirm that North Korean forces had entered the fight, and he called on Ukraine’s allies to assist in confronting this new threat.

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