FLAG OF WAR
North Korea flag ‘flies in Ukraine’ as Kim Jong-un’s troops including elite Storm Corps flood front in ‘huge escalation’
A blurry photo shows the flag between the trenches in the besieged city of Pokrovsk
A RED and blue North Korea flag has reportedly been spotted flying alongside the Russian tricolour in Ukrainian territory sparking fears of a major escalation in Putin's bloody war.
If confirmed, it would suggest that Pyongyang troops have been deployed to the front line, marking the first time a third country puts boots on the ground in the three-year conflict.
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Other countries have so far contributed by sending military aid including weapons and training - to both sides.
A blurry photo, allegedly taken near the besieged key city of Pokrovsk shows the two flags flying between the trenches.
At least 3,000 North Korean troops are now in Russia's Kursk region with US officials fearing they have been shipped in to help Putin push back Ukrainian forces.
In recent weeks footage has emerged of what Ukrainian intelligence says are Kim's troops training at Russia's military bases - with the US and Kiyv fearing they have been sent to join the Russian leader's war.
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Dramatic videos from the Far East of Russia allegedly show Kim’s soldiers being given battlefield equipment and taking part in strict military training.
Other footage appears to show North Korean troops posing for photos in Moscow's Red Square.
Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the presence of North Korean troops.
South Korea's spy chief said the troops were being trained to use equipment including drones in Ukraine.
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And according to South Korean intelligence, the soldiers sent to Russia are from an elite army unit known as the "Storm Corps."
Senior fellow at South Korea’s Institute of National Security Strategy told the Financial Times: "These are not ordinary North Korean soldiers, most of whom are never given adequate combat training.
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"These are well-equipped, highly trained mobile light infantry.";
South Korean intelligence also states that North Korean authorities are isolating the families of soldiers sent to Russia to "unknown locations".
A statement reported by the news agency Yonhap reads: "The National Intelligence Service also reported that North Korean authorities are moving and isolating the families of deployed soldiers en masse to unknown locations in order to tightly control and manage them."
Earlier this week Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that North Korean officers and technical personnel had already been spotted in Russian-occupied territories.
He said: "I believe they sent officers first to assess the situation before deploying troops."
More soldiers are yet to come as North Korea aims to deploy a total of 10,000 soldiers by the end of the year.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: "We assess that between early-to-mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia."
He added that it's a "highly concerning probability" the North Korean soldiers are there to fight against Ukraine.
The security chief warned: "After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military."
Long-time Putin ally Lukashenko dismissed the claims that North Korea has sent troops to Russia as "rubbish" but admitted it would be a major escalation, if confirmed.
He told The : "Knowing his character Putin would never try to persuade another country to involve its army in Russia’s special operation in Ukraine."
Asked his opinion if the reports are confirmed he responded: "It would be a step towards the escalation of the conflict if the armed forces of any country, even Belarus, were on the contact line.
"Even if we got involved in the war this would be a path to escalation. Why? Because you, the Anglo-Saxons, would immediately say that another country had got involved on one side... so Nato troops would be deployed to Ukraine."
The North Korean despot has also been supplying 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, .
European officials have also weighed in with the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saying: "We dont even know whether we are talking about 1,500 or 12,000, or which kind of soldiers are coming to Russia and to fight where and against.
"Its a kind of escalation and it shows us a very important, a very important aspect. International conflicts are approaching very rapidly."
United Kingdom Defense Secretary John Healey said there was "not just a concern about the potential for an escalation of conflict in Europe.
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While Justin Crump, a former British tank commander added: "I think Ukraine is wearing down the Russian army as we talk.
"You dont get thousands of soldiers from North Korea if your war is going well. You dont require them."
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