agencies now reportedly believe the idea was North Korea’s initiative, quickly embraced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Since August, approximately 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk Oblast, where they are fighting alongside Russian forces.On Dec. 23, President Zelensky said that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured in the region, significantly surpassing earlier estimates.President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of the global risks posed by increasing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including the transfer of advanced warfare technologies.These concerns align with U.S. reported assessments that Russia is relying on North Korea and Iran to sustain artillery operations and drone strikes targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure. North Korea has become a key ally of Russia, supplying ballistic missiles, artillery ammunition, and soldiers.