NATO investigating if North Korea sent 12,000 troops to Russia

NATO is investigating if North Korea is sending 12,000 troops to support Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

NATO is in close contact with all partners in the region, especially South Korea, to "get all the evidence on the table," Rutte said.

"At this moment, our official position is that we cannot confirm reports that North Koreans are actively now, as soldiers, engaged in the war effort. But this, of course, might change," he added.

The Ukrainian government has reported North Korean soldiers in the ranks of Russian occupation troops.

Pyongyang is already providing massive support to Russia with artillery shells and short-range missiles, according to reports by South Korean intelligence services.