Kim Jong-un's North Korean troops 'arrive in Ukraine within hours to fight for Putin'

troops will arrive on the frontline in just a few hours to fight for , according to military intelligence.

Kim Jong Un’s forces are expected to be deployed today alongside Russian forces to grab back the Kursk region of , which is partially occupied by Ukrainian forces.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the of , said he was expecting the reinforcements behind enemy lines on Wednesday and anticipate “the first units in the Kursk direction”.

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But how many will be deployed and how they will be equipped is still unclear, and GUR chief Lt-Gen Budanov told US website The War Zone: “We'll see in a couple of days”. He had said earlier that some 2,600 troops from Pyongyang could be sent to the Kursk region.

Ukrainian president meanwhile told his people in his daily TV broadcast that up to 12,000 North Koreans are being readied for deployment in Putin’s war. Videos from the Far East of Russia appear to show Kim’s soldiers being issued equipment and undergoing training - but there has been no confirmation from the Kremlin.

In one new video a voice is heard saying: “The handsome allied soldiers from North Korea have arrived. I hope the war will now end.” Zelensky said: “We have information about the preparation of two units of military personnel from North Korea. Maybe even two brigades of 6,000 people - and this is a challenge.”

North Korea has described reports of troops being sent to Russia as "groundless" - but but South Korean intelligence claims they are being issued fake military IDs to make it appear they are residents of Siberian regions Yakutia and Buryatia. The North Korean ruler’s sister Kim Yo Jong called Ukrainians “bad ” and “lunatics” in a tirade against Kyiv.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has meanwhile said the United States is "very close" to finalising a $20 billion (£15 billion payment to Ukraine that would be paid for with proceeds from frozen Russian assets, reported Politico. Zelensky recently hinted at his hopes to scale back the war and end its “hot phase”, ushering in peace talks. He said: “A decision on energy security could be made. In other words: we do not attack their energy infrastructure, they do not attack ours. Could this lead to the end of the hot phase of the war? I think so.”