President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday the Ukrainian military's first clashes with North Korean troops had opened the way to more "instability in the world."

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed in an interview with South Korean television that the first armed engagements had occurred with North Korean troops in the more than 2½-year-old war.

"The first battles with North Korean soldiers have opened a new chapter of instability in the world," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.