Russia turns to North Korea as losses mount in Ukraine war

Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in Putin's war, and he cannot continue his attack on Ukraine without foreign assistance, said Mark Rutte, as quoted by "Daily Mail".

Following a meeting with a South Korean delegation, the NATO Secretary General emphasized that the increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea threatens the security of the Indo-Pacific region and the Euro-Atlantic area. Rutte noted that North Korean soldiers have arrived in the Kursk region.

Rutte highlighted that the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia marks a "significant escalation" and is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. He described it as a "dangerous expansion" of the war and a sign of "growing desperation" by Vladimir Putin.

Although the Kremlin dismissed the reports of North Korean troop presence as "fake news", Putin did not refute this information, merely stating that it is an internal matter for Moscow regarding how it manages agreements with Pyongyang. A North Korean representative to the UN described these reports as "baseless rumours."

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, stressed that sanctions are not a sufficient response to Pyongyang's involvement. "North Korean soldiers are already in the Kursk region... This is an escalation. Sanctions are not enough. We need weapons and a clear plan, to prevent the expansion of North Korea's involvement in the war in Europe," Yermak wrote on platform X.

The Ukrainian politician added that Western allies should respond decisively because "the enemy only understands strength."

As reported by the "Daily Mail", Ukrainian intelligence has also released recordings in which Russian soldiers express concerns about the arrival of North Korean troops and issues related to their equipment and integration with Russian units.