North Korea flag ‘flies in Ukraine’ as Kim Jong-un’s troops including elite Storm Corps flood front in ‘huge escalation

A RED and bluish North Korea emblem has reportedly been spotted flying alongside the Russian tricolour successful Ukrainian territory sparking fears of a large escalation successful Putin's bloody war.

If confirmed, it would suggest that Pyongyang troops person been deployed to the beforehand line, marking the archetypal clip a 3rd state puts boots connected the crushed successful the three-year conflict.

Other countries person truthful acold contributed by sending subject assistance including weapons and grooming - to some sides.

A blurry photo, allegedly taken adjacent the besieged cardinal metropolis of Pokrovsk shows the 2 flags flying betwixt the trenches.

At slightest 3,000 North Korean troops were seen successful Russia's Kursk portion with US officials fearing they person been shipped successful to assistance Putin propulsion backmost Ukrainian forces.

In caller weeks footage has emerged of what Ukrainian quality says shows Kim's troops grooming astatine Russia's subject bases - with the US and Kiyv fearing they're sent to articulation the Russian leader's war.

Dramatic videos from the Far East of Russia allegedly amusement Kim’s soldiers being fixed battlefield instrumentality and taking portion successful strict subject training.

Other footage appears to amusement North Korean troops posing for photos successful Moscow's Red Square.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang person denied the beingness of North Korean troops.

South Korea's spy main said the troops were being trained to usage instrumentality including drones successful Ukraine.

And according to South Korean intelligence, the soldiers sent to Russia are from an elite army portion known arsenic the "Storm Corps."

Senior chap astatine South Korea’s Institute of National Security Strategy told the Financial Times: "These are not mean North Korean soldiers, astir of whom are ne'er fixed capable combat training.

"These are well-equipped, highly trained mobile airy infantry."

South Korean quality besides states that North Korean authorities are isolating the families of soldiers sent to Russia to "unknown locations."

A connection reported by the news bureau Yonhap reads: "The National Intelligence Service besides reported that North Korean authorities are moving and isolating the families of deployed soldiers en masse to chartless locations successful bid to tightly power and negociate them."

Earlier this week Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that North Korean officers and method unit had already been spotted successful Russian-occupied territories.

He said: "I judge they sent officers archetypal to measure the concern earlier deploying troops."

More soldiers are yet to travel arsenic North Korea aims to deploy a full of 10,000 soldiers by the extremity of the year.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said: "We measure that betwixt early- to mid-October, North Korea moved astatine slightest 3,000 soldiers into eastbound Russia."

He added that it's a "highly concerning probability" the North Korean soldiers are determination to combat against Ukraine.

The information main warned: "After completing training, these soldiers could question to occidental Russia and past prosecute successful combat against the Ukrainian military."

Long-time Putin state Lukashenko dismissed the claims that North Korea has sent troops to Russia arsenic "rubbish" but admitted it would beryllium a large escalation, if confirmed.

He told The BBC: "Knowing his quality Putin would ne'er effort to transportation different state to impact its army successful Russia’s peculiar cognition successful Ukraine."

Asked his opinion if the reports are confirmed helium responded: "It would beryllium a measurement towards the escalation of the struggle if the equipped forces of immoderate country, adjacent Belarus, were connected the interaction line.

"Even if we got progressive successful the warfare this would beryllium a way to escalation. Why? Because you, the Anglo-Saxons, would instantly accidental that different state had got progressive connected 1 side... truthful Nato troops would beryllium deployed to Ukraine."

The North Korean despot has besides been supplying tens of thousands of containers of weapons to Russia for its amerciable invasion.

Kim has sent 13,000 shipping containers carrying arms to Russia for the warfare implicit a two-year period, one South Korean curate said.

European officials person besides weighed successful with the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saying: "We dont adjacent cognize whether we are talking astir 1,500 oregon 12,000, oregon which benignant of soldiers are coming to Russia and to combat wherever and against.

"Its a benignant of escalation and it shows america a precise important, a precise important aspect. International conflicts are approaching precise rapidly."

United Kingdom Defense Secretary John Healey said determination was "not conscionable a interest astir the imaginable for an escalation of struggle successful Europe.

While Justin Crump, a erstwhile British vessel commandant added: "I deliberation Ukraine is wearing down the Russian army arsenic we talk.

"You dont get thousands of soldiers from North Korea if your warfare is going well. You dont necessitate them."