North Korea confirms it has troops in Russia for the first time and had plans to 'annihilate' Ukrainians

For the first time, North Korea has confirmed it has troops in Russia.

In a report on state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang’s military claimed its soldiers were sent to help the forces ‘completely liberate’ the Kursk border region with plans to ‘annihilate’ Ukrainians.

Sky News reports that Ukrainian officials believe North Korea deployed as many as 14,000 troops, including 3,000 to replace previous losses.

It has previously been reported by South Korean and Western intelligence that Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia last year, but this is the first time North Korea has confirmed it.

And a statement says Vladimir Putin has expressed his personal thanks to Kim Jong Un.

KCNA said this decision to deploy troops was in accordance with a mutual defence treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Russia expressed thanks to North Korea. (Contributor/Getty Images)

A statement from Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party cited on state TV that Kim said the deployment was intended to ‘annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.'

“They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland,” he reportedly said.

The statement also added that North Korea would support Russia’s military again as it said the two nations had demonstrated their ‘alliance and brotherhood’ in Kursk.

It added that a ‘friendship proven by blood’ will hugely contribute to expanding their relationship ‘in every way.'

The state media, however, did not make it clear what will happen to the troops after their mission in Kursk ended and if they would be able to return home in North Korea.

In March, Kim had expressed his unwavering support for Russia’s war in Ukraine while attending a meeting top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang.

North Korea say there is an 'alliance and brotherhood' with Russia. (VLADIMIR SMIRNOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

It was reported that during this the pair reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the mutual defence treaty agreed last year.

Kim’s somewhat secretive nation has been supplying a vast amount of conventional weapons to Russia as the likes of South Korea and the US worry North Korea could be rewarded in return with a transfer of high-tech weapons technologies.

It’s also expected Russia will give it economic and other assistance. Therefore, the fear is that North Korea would be able to sharply enhance its nuclear weapons programme.

The US State Department added to Sky News that it was ‘concerned’ by Pyongyang’s ‘direct involvement’ in the war between Russia and Ukraine.