KYIV: A wounded North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region has told interrogators that Pyongyang's troops fighting for Moscow are suffering serious losses, official video published on Monday (Jan 20) showed.

Russia signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran on Friday that follows similar pacts with China and North Korea. All three countries are adversaries of the United States, and Russia has used its ties with them to help blunt the impact of Western sanctions and boost its war effort in Ukraine.

North Korea is gaining crucial military experience and equipment by sending troops to Russia, a U.S. official warned the United Nations, making the regime a growing threat to neighboring countries.

A lone North Korean soldier who survived an intense battle against Ukrainian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region chose to blow himself up rather than allow himself to be captured, Kyiv

North Korean troops have been deployed to bolster Russian forces in the Kursk border region with Ukraine, where they are gaining battlefield experience despite initial heavy losses.

A wounded North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region earlier this month told interrogators that Pyongyang's troops fighting for Moscow are suffering major losses. Ukraine said last week that it captured two North Korean soldiers in the border region and posted videos of their interrogation,

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly sent New Year’s messages to North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia's war against Ukraine, urging them to "fight with courage" until the end, according to a news report.

Russian forces continue to advance on Ukrainian positions in Kursk, according to the journalists' sources, citing Ukrainian military personnel fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. The "sudden absence" of North Korean troops on the battlefield may indicate that they are regrouping and assessing their future actions,