South Korea's top envoy to the United Nations said Thursday that North Korean troops are being dissipated as "expendables" in Russia's war against Ukraine and treated as a "cynical" means of sustaining the North Korean regime.

Dorothy Camille Shea, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, told the UNSC that North Korea is becoming ‘better prepared for war’ in its neighbouring region as it continues to help Russia in its ongoing

Over 12,000 North Korean troops are estimated to be fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, the United Nations Security Council learned last week.

North Korean troops have been taking part in active combat on Russia's side in the country's Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine has held territory since August. This unprecedented move, made against the backdrop of a deepening Moscow-Pyongyang alliance,

The North Korean authorities are increasingly concerned about the mental condition and moral state of soldiers sent on a military mission to Russia. According to information obtained by Daily NK, the soldiers are exhibiting signs of extreme fear,

North Korean soldiers will participate in Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, marking the first such instance in history, the Japanese broadcaster NHK World reported on Jan. 16, citing undisclosed Russian sources.