Pyongyang: North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had deployed troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine under the mutual defense treaty between the two countries. The official North Korean News Agency reported that the deployment of the North's troops was "ordered" by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in accordance with the mutual defense treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the confirmation of the deployment of troops to Russia comes months after thousands of North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia to fight in the Kursk region on the front line. The agency said that the operations to liberate the Kursk region to repel the Russian offensive by Ukrainian authorities had concluded victoriously, adding that sub-units of the national armed forces participated in the operations in accordance with the order of Head of State Kim Jong-un.

Kim signed the joint treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang in June of last year, which obligates both countries to provide military assistance to each other in the event of war. North Korea's official news agency noted that the military activities carried out by North Korean forces in Russia "are in complete accordance" with the UN Charter, other international laws, and bilateral treaties.