Ukraine prepares to fight North Korean troops in Kursk as war escalates

Ukraine prepared to fight North Korean troops in the Russian region of Kursk on Wednesday, as the entry of a second nuclear power in Russia's war against Ukraine threatened to escalate and broaden the conflict. The United States Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that North Korean troops were in Kursk, where Ukraine launched a counter-invasion almost three months ago. Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said there was "a small number [of North Korean troops] in the Kursk oblast, with a couple of thousand more that are almost there or due to arrive imminently". A senior South Korean official told reporters on Wednesday that about 3,000 North Korean troops were being moved close to the front lines. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed the deployment on Monday.