North Korea acknowledged for the first time Monday that it had provided troop reinforcements to aid Russia in its war on Ukraine.

North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it has sent troops to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine under the order of leader Kim Jong-un and made an important contribution to the liberation of Russian territory occupied by Ukraine.

US, South Korean, and Ukrainian intelligence officials have said North Korea dispatched about 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia last fall in its first participation in a major armed conflict since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Russia's ejection of Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region ends the biggest incursion into Russian territory since World War Two but it also removes another barrier to a peace deal Moscow was reluctant to conclude with so many enemy troops on its soil.

Russia said on Monday it was waiting for a signal from Ukraine regarding Kyiv's willingness to hold direct negotiations to end the war, but said it did not so far see any signs of movement. The Kremlin said last Friday that the possibility of direct talks between the two sides had been raised during a three-hour meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces denied Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim over the weekend that Russian forces had fully retaken the Kursk region, where Ukraine launched an offensive last year.