North Korea confirmed Monday for the first time that it sent troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, saying the deployment was meant to help Russia regain its Kursk region that Ukrainian forces seized in a surprise incursion last year.

North Korea on Monday confirmed for the first time it had deployed troops to Russia, with state news agency KCNA reporting that Pyongyang’s soldiers helped Moscow reclaim territory in Kursk

North Korea has for the first time confirmed that it sent troops to fight for Russia against Ukraine. In a report on state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang's military claimed its soldiers helped Russian forces "completely liberate" the Kursk border region,