According to the US Department of State, 10,000 North Korean soldiers have already been stationed in the Kursk Oblast. The Ukrainians themselves claim that Koreans are already fighting against them in the region.

Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Saturday that there were reports North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces. "We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces,

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on a landmark defense pact with North Korea amid reports Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to fight Ukraine.