A Kyiv official says North Korean troops recently deployed to help Russia in its war with Ukraine have come under Ukrainian fire.

“The first North Korean troops have already been shelled, in the Kursk region,” a Kyiv official said Tuesday.

It is the first time a Ukrainian official has said that Pyongyang’s units were struck.

North Korean troops have come under fire after joining Russia's war, Ukrainian officials said.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that

More than 10,000 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia to support its war against Ukraine, with a "significant number" in the frontline areas including Kursk, South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday. The remarks came hours after the Pentagon said that there were at least 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Kursk, near the Ukraine border, but could not corroborate reports that they were engaged in combat.

“We expect more engagements in the coming weeks,” Ukraine’s defense minister adds.