Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un announced a mutual defence agreement earlier this year, which has paved the way for an estimated 10,000 North Korean troops to join in Russia's fight against Ukraine.

Russia has amassed a large force of tens of thousands — including recently arrived North Korean troops — to carry out an assault on the Ukrainian positions in Russia’s Kursk region expected in the coming days,

Ukrainian officials expect a counteroffensive in western Russia to begin in the coming days as North Korea’s troops train with Russian forces.