The Ukrainian military said that North Korean military personnel stationed in Russia are operating drones conducting reconnaissance operations over Ukraine, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
This is the first statement in months by Kiev about the activity of North Korean military personnel on the battlefield, the agency notes.
Thousands of North Korean military personnel last year joined the Russian Army in pushing Ukrainian forces out of Russia's Kursk Region. Kiev later said that the North Koreans withdrew after suffering serious casualties, and has not reported any further clashes with them since.
The Ukrainian General Staff today posted on "Facebook" statement, which stated that North Korean units stationed in the Kursk region were operating drones that were searching for Ukrainian military positions and helping to direct missile strikes on neighboring Ukraine's Sumy region.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine intercepted conversations between North Korean drone operators and Russian military personnel," the statement said.
In the past two years, Pyongyang and Moscow have signed a mutual defense treaty and increased the level of their military cooperation.
According to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates, Pyongyang has sent more than 10,000 military personnel to Russia to join the fighting against Ukraine. In return, North Korea has received economic and military-technical support from Moscow. South Korea's Defense Ministry said on Monday that Russia may have also provided North Korea with technical assistance for the development of submarines.