North Korean troops fighting Ukrainian forces are suffering casualties in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Nov. 7.

“Currently, 11,000 North Korean The soldiers are present in Russian territory near the border with Ukraine, specifically in the Kursk Oblast,” he said at a press conference at the European Political Community summit in Budapest.

“Some of these troops have already participated in combat operations against Ukrainian forces and there are already casualties.”

zelenski He did not provide further information on the number of victims.

Kursk Oblast has seen heavy fighting since Ukraine launched a cross border offensive at the beginning of August.

Moscow has deployed North Korean troops there to reinforce the lines while its more experienced units Continue advancing in eastern Ukraine..

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed on November 5 that the first confrontations between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and North Korean soldiers had already occurred.

Zelensky had previously said that if Ukraine had permission to use Western long range weapons on Russian territory, it could preemptively attack “all camps” in Russia where North Korean troops are gathering.

Speaking on November 7, he reiterated his call.

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“We are now issuing a warning and believe that if political pressure and corresponding weapons are not applied to Russia, the next step could be a much larger deployment of North Korean forces,” he said.

“Putin always watches the reaction of the world. In my opinion, the response so far has been insufficient.”

To date, international responses to the addition of North Korean troops to Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine have been limited to statements and condemnations.

The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) and three key allies expressed “serious concerns” over North Korea’s military deployment in Russia and are working on a “coordinated response,” according to a joint statement released Nov. 5.

In addition to G7 members, including USAJapan, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and the High Representative of the European Union, the statement South Korea, Australia and New Zealand also signed it.

“Several thousand DPRK troops have been deployed to Russia. The DPRK’s direct support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, in addition to showing Russia’s desperate efforts to compensate for its losses, would mark a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo countries. -Peace and security in the Pacific,” the statement reads.

“It would be a new violation of international law, including the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter.

“The ministers condemned “in the strongest terms” the deepening of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyangincluding Russia’s “illegal acquisition” of North Korean ballistic missiles.

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