North Korean and Ukrainian troops engage one another in combat, says Kyiv official

North Korean troops have reportedly engaged Ukrainian forces for the first time in the Kursk region of Russia.

A member of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council claimed Ukrainian and North Korean forces had been in combat after South Korean military intelligence claimed an advance unit of North Korean troops had been sent to the Kursk region.

It was confirmed last month that soldiers sent by Pyongyang had arrived in Russia, reportedly numbering 12,000 soldiers, 500 officers and three generals.

• N Korean troops about to deploy into combat alongside Russians, warns Ukraine
• Using North Korean troops a desperate move by Putin, says Defence Secretary
• UK condemns reports Russia has fired North Korean missiles against Ukraine

Satellite imagery showed large gatherings of troops at training bases in the far east, and footage on social media showed North Korean soldiers receiving Russian uniforms.

South Korean military intelligence reported that 1,500 special operatives from Pyongyang had been sent to Moscow last month to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border attack into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August, seizing 500 square miles of territory.

It was hoped the incursion would divert Moscow's resources from the eastern frontline, however this was largely unsuccessful.

In response, Vladimir Putin asked Pyongyang to send thousands of soldiers to reinforce defences in Kursk, while Russia's most battle-hardened forces continue advancing in the east.

North Korea has been a supporter of Moscow during the conflict, but it remains to be seen if its troops can change the direction of the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again called on the US and other allies, including the UK, to allow Ukraine to fire Western long-range missiles into Russian territory.

If this was allowed, he said Kyiv could target every camp in Russia where North Korean troops are gathering.