Ukraine-Russia war live: Nato chief says North Korean troops in Kursk as Putin issues long-range arms warning

Nato chief Mark Rutte has alleged that North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia ’s Kursk region, where Vladimir Putin ’s forces are seeking to repel Ukraine ’s forces following their incursion in August.

Speaking after Russian officials claimed on Monday to have blocked an attempt by an “armed group” to breach the border from Ukraine into the nearby Bryansk region, Mr Rutte said he could confirm the deployment of North Korean soldiers in Kursk.

Their presence in Russia marks “a significant escalation” in North Korea ’s involvement in the conflict and “a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war”, Mr Rutte said, following a briefing to Nato officials and diplomats from a South Korean delegation.

It came as Mr Putin claimed Russia would use “a range of responses” if the US and its Nato allies allowed Ukraine to strike inside his country with Western long-range weapons.

On the frontline, Russia lost nearly 200 soldiers, with 80 confirmed fatalities in Ukraine’s east in the past 24 hours where a fierce battle is underway, military officials said.