THOUSANDS of North Korean troops may be getting deployed to the Russian frontlines today to help out a "desperate" Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine is bracing for the arrival of up to 12,000 of Kim Jong-un’s fanatical cannon fodder fighters, say the nation's military intelligence.
Putin and Kim's close bond over their love of being feared tyrants has seen their relationship blossom in recent months.
With Ukrainian intelligence and president Volodymyr Zelensky fearing Putin has now been gifted more men as he looks to continue to overpower Ukraine on the battlefield.
Thousands of North Korean fighters are expected to march towards Russia’s frontline region of Kursk today and stand arm-to-arm with Vlad's thugs.
Kim Jong Un’s forces are said to be going in with the mission of helping Russia to push back Ukraine's forces so Putin can gain back his lost territory, it is claimed.
read more in Vladimir Putin
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine revealed the potential plans.
He told US website The War Zone earlier this week: "We expect the first units in the Kursk direction
“We'll see in a couple of days."
He added that at least 2,600 Pyongyang troops could be sent to Kursk.
Most read in The Sun
However the exact number is feared to be much higher.
President Zelensky announced at his daily TV broadcast that up to 12,000 North Koreans are being readied for deployment in Putin’s war.
He 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.”
Dramatic videos from the Far East of Russia allegedly shows Kim’s soldiers being given battlefield equipment and taking part in strict military training.
One video being shared online is said to feature a voice saying: “The handsome allied soldiers from North Korea have arrived.
“I hope the war will now end.”
The Kremlin is yet to confirm if they are training up Kim's troops.
As North Korea said reports of them sending troops abroad are simply “groundless rumours”.
Despite Kim's cronies rubbishing the claims, South Korean intelligence reports that troops are being issued fake military IDs before being shipped off to Siberian regions like Yakutia and Buryatia.
Once in Russia the intelligence says they will be moved across to Kursk.
World leaders say if North Korean troops are seen in Ukraine then it would be a clear sign of desperation from a paranoid Vlad.
Finland's President Alexander Stubb told Reuters: "We're just seeing how desperate Russia is.
"Its allies are not too many around this world.
"It relies on Iranian weapons, it relies on North Korean soldiers. How much worse can it get?"
It would also be seen as an "escalation", Stubb - who joined Nato following Putin's invasion - announced.
The sister of the North Korean dictator, Kim Yo Jong, has been vocal in her hatred against Ukraine in recent weeks.
She described Ukrainians as “bad dogs” and “lunatics” in a fiery tirade against Kyiv.
It comes as the North Korean despot has also been supplying tens of thousands of containers of weapons to Russia for its illegal invasion.
Kim has sent 13,000 shipping containers carrying arms to Russia for the war over a two-year period, .
It relies on Iranian weapons, it relies on North Korean soldiers. How much worse can it get
Alexander Stubb
Ammunition supplies are critical for Russia to continue prosecuting its war and killing the innocent Ukrainians.
In January, Russia used North Korean missiles to blitz Ukraine for the first time killing at least 50 people.
At the end of last month, small North Korean tanks, named Bulsae-4, were even spotted fighting in Ukraine.
North Korea has denied supplying the Kremlin with ballistic missiles and artillery shells.
But reports say Kim has even pledged to send 15,000 tunnellers to Ukraine to dig a Hamas-style underground front.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Russia is using 'dark' ships with their GPS turned off so they can't be tracked to ship some of the containers.
In return Putin is said to be protecting his pal at the UN by vetoing bodies supposed to enforce the sanctions against North Korea.