North Korean troops have begun engaging in combat operations alongside Russian forces, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday, expressing concern that Russia had turned to North Korea for soldiers to fight in its war with Ukraine.

North Korean soldiers have begun fighting against Ukraine alongside their Russian allies, the US State Department said, after Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to aid the Kremlin’s war efforts.

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

Nearly all would raise their hands to go, ex-military defectors explain, owing to regime loyalty, promise of higher status and a glimpse of the outside world.

Ukraine's military intelligence has intercepted what it claims are radio communications between North Korean soldiers in Russia, amid media reports of a massive troop buildup ahead of an attack in the Kursk region.

North Korea ratified a major defense treaty with Russia stipulating mutual military aid, the North’s state media reported Tuesday, as the U.S., South Korea and Ukraine say North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

North Korea has ratified a landmark defence pact with Russia, state media reported Tuesday, deepening security cooperation that has seen Pyongyang send thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Ukraine.

The counteroffensive in Russia's Kursk region is reportedly set to take place in the coming days, as Russian and North Korean troops train together.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has signed off a defense pact with Russia, the North's state media reported Tuesday, amid heightened concerns over Pyongyang's troop dispatch to Russia. The treaty on "comprehensive strategic partnership" between North Korea and Russia has been ratified as a decree from the