Zelensky confirms deadly clashes between North Korean and Ukrainian forces

The big picture: Zelensky said at a European Political Community Summit press conference Thursday that 11,000 North Korean troops are present in Russia's Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border.

• Ukraine launched an incursion into Kursk this summer and has occupied parts of the region.
• "Some of these troops have already taken part in hostilities against the Ukrainian military. Yes, there are already losses, this is a fact," Zelensky said, though he did not elaborate on which side had suffered the casualties.

State of play: Zelensky's confirmation comes after Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told South Korean television network KBS on Tuesday that battles between North Korean and Ukrainian troops had already taken place in Kursk, the Kyiv Independent reported.

• Zelensky warned during his nightly address Tuesday that the battles between the two sides "open a new page of instability in the world."

• The New York Times reported earlier this week that a "significant number" of North Korean troops had been killed in a limited engagement with Ukrainian forces, citing senior US and Ukrainian officials.

Zoom out: Ukraine has mere months to go before the inauguration of President-elect Trump, who has repeatedly criticized military aid to Ukraine.

• The Biden administration, which has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, vowed Wednesday to continue surging aid to the country.

Go deeper: What to know about the Russia-North Korea alliance