US "confirmed participation in combat in Kursk by North Korean forces"

The U.S. State Department says it has confirmed that North Korean soldiers sent to Kursk, Russia, have begun to participate in combat against Ukrainian forces.

Vedant Patel, a deputy State Department spokesman, told a briefing on Wednesday local time that more than 10,000 North Korean troops sent to eastern Russia traveled mostly to Kursk and began engaging in combat operations with Russian forces.

It also explained that the Russian military conducted exercises such as shelling, flying drones, and removing hazards from the trenches to the North.

Patel added that if Russia is to use the North Korean military to win the battlefield, the key will be how well it can integrate them within the chain of command.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken also said he was heading to Europe to attend the NATO and EU meetings, and expected North Korea's participation in the war to be discussed.