Putin signs into law mutual defence treaty with North Korea

The treaty galvanises closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Reports from South Korea and Western countries say North Korea has supplied Russia with weaponry. Ukrainian forensic experts say they have found traces of the weapons at sites of Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that North Korea has sent 11,000 troops to Russia and some of them suffered casualties in combat with Kyiv’s forces Russia’s southern Kursk region.

Russia has not confirmed the presence of the North Korean troops.