Kyiv hits major oil refinery in huge drone attack as North Korea ‘prepares more troops’ - Russia says it has downed at least 121 Ukrainian drones amid major aerial attack

South Korea suspects North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia despite heavy losses and prisoner captures in Ukraine.

North Korea is likely preparing to send additional troops to Russia after suffering heavy losses in battles against Ukrainian forces, South Korea's military said Friday.

Budanov said North Korea has sent 120 self-propelled howitzers and 120 MLRS to Russia, and is likely to send the same number again.

North Korea’s leader has grown more assertive since their last efforts at diplomacy ended in failure — and now has Russia at his side.

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.

Seoul has previously claimed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent more than 10,000 soldiers as ‘cannon fodder’ to help Moscow fight Kyiv, in return for Russian technical assistance for Pyongyang’s

Ukraine captured two wounded North Korean soldiers who were fighting on behalf of Russia in a Russian border region, South Korea’s intelligence service said.

Drone attack closes Moscow airports as North Korea ‘prepares to send more troops’ - Russia says it has downed at least 121 Ukrainian drones amid major aerial attack

South Korea's military said on Friday that it suspects North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia to fight Ukrainian forces, even after suffering losses and seeing some of its soldiers captured.

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.