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 Korea ratified a defense treaty with Russia, state media reported Tuesday, formally deepening military cooperation that has seen Pyongyang send thousands of troops to help Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

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 signed off an a treaty with Russia calling for a "comprehensive strategic partnership," Pyongyang's state-controlled news agency KCNA reported on Tuesday. It comes as North Korean troops are in Russia fighting 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 was ratified the previous day as