North Korean troops are attacking Ukrainian positions in Russia’s western Kursk region, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Friday, as Russia continues its onslaught on Ukraine’s energy grid into the winter.

Ukrainian forces have reportedly captured a North Korean soldier in the Kursk region. This is the first such case since the conflict began. South Korean intelligence claims that the soldier has died.

A North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces for the first time in the Russo-Ukraine War has died of wounds, sources from both Kyiv and Seoul claimed Friday.