kyiv, Ukraine — Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital kyiv on Wednesday with a sophisticated combination of missiles and drones for the first time in 73 days, authorities reported. North Korean troops sent to help Moscow’s war effort are fighting to drive the Ukrainian army from Russian soil in the Kursk border region.

Air raid alerts sounded for hours as Russia targeted eight regions of Ukraine, firing six ballistic and cruise missiles and 90 drones, Ukraine’s air force said.

Air defense downed four missiles and 37 drones, and another 47 drones were stopped by electronic jamming, the statement said. The damage was being assessed.

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 fighting in Russia’s Kursk border region, according to the Pentagon. A Ukrainian army incursion into Kursk three months ago managed to control a large area of ​​territory and embarrassed the Kremlin.

The Russian military has trained North Korean soldiers in artillery, drones and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, deputy Pentagon spokesman Vedant Patel said Tuesday. from a press briefing. According to the Pentagon, the cooperation faces challenges, including achieving military interoperability and overcoming the language barrier.

kyiv officials say Russia has deployed about 50,000 troops to Kursk to try to dislodge the Ukrainians.

In recent months, Russia has been gathering forces for a counteroffensive at Kursk, according to the Institute for the Study of War think tank, although the timetable for the operation is not known.

Russia’s plans in Kursk and Ukraine’s efforts to curb a Russian assault in eastern Donetsk region coincides with political uncertainty over how the US administration of Donald Trump will change Washington’s policy on war. US military aid is vital to Ukraine, but Trump has indicated he does not want to continue giving tens of billions of dollars to kyiv.

President Joe Biden intends to step up U.S. military support for Ukraine in the final months of his administration, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

The United States “will continue to strengthen everything we do for Ukraine to ensure that it can defend itself effectively against this Russian aggression,” Blinken told reporters at NATO headquarters ahead of the meetings. planned with allied envoys and Ukrainian officials.

Blinken warned that North Korea’s decision to send its troops into combat operations alongside Russian forces “demands and will get a strong response.” He did not specify.

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Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

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