Pentagon "Hard to confirm North Korean engagement...There could be additional troops."

The U.S. Department of Defense said it was "an issue we are looking at" in reference to Ukraine's recent announcement that North Korean troops sent to Russia had engaged in fighting.

Sabrina Singh, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a briefing on the 7th local time, "We cannot confirm the engagement right now."

"You'll see in the future that the North Korean troops who moved to Kursk have engaged or already engaged."

Regarding the North Korean troops currently dispatched, he also said, "Our evaluation is that there are between 10,000 and 11,000 people," adding, "I understand that we have not yet sent additional troops."

Regarding preemptive attacks on North Korean troops in Russia, he said, "Ukrainian forces are operating in Kursk and guarding the defense line," adding, "We expect the North Korean military to participate in the battle and if that happens, it is a legitimate target of attack."

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially confirmed that Ukrainian forces had recently engaged with North Korean forces attached to Russian forces.

The U.S. Department of Defense has yet to officially confirm it, although the U.S. media reported that North Korean troops engaged on the 4th and many were killed.