The air assault came as most of the more than 10,000 North Korean troops sent by Pyongyang to help Moscow in the war are engaged in combat in Russia's Kursk border region, according to the Pentagon. A Ukrainian army incursion into Kursk three months ago has succeeded in holding a broad area of land and has embarrassed the Kremlin.

The United States wants real and extended pauses in fighting in Gaza so assistance can get to people who need it, but the best way to help people would be to end the war, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken talks tough on North Korea as he meets with NATO in Brussels:::: Brussels, Belgium:: Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State“We had a very productive discussion today about our ongoing support for Ukraine in the face of an ongoing Russian aggression.

US top diplomat Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces fighting on the Ukrainian border demanded a "firm response".