The Pentagon estimates there are now "at least 10,000" North Korean forces inside Russia's Kursk Oblast, and Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary, said that "those numbers could go up." Ryder said that overall there could be closer to 11,

A Ukrainian official said North Korean troops recently engaged in limited combat, likely probing for weak spots in Ukrainian defenses alongside Russia's 810th Marine Brigade, though details on losses remain sparse,

The upper house of Russian parliament has ratified a treaty with North Korea envisioning mutual military assistance.