FT: Vladimir Putin bets on North Korean troops to retake Kursk from Ukraine

North Korea has deployed 12,000 troops to Russia's Kursk region to assist Moscow in its ongoing war with Ukraine. These elite soldiers, from North Korea's "Storm Corps," are disguised as ethnic minorities and are expected to boost Russia's military numbers, though analysts believe the force is too small to shift the war's trajectory. This deployment marks deepening ties between North Korea and Russia, sparking concerns about future military cooperation and regional stability.

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By Max Seddon in Riga, Christian Davies in Seoul and Isobel Koshiw in Kyiv

'Storm Corps' is first foreign army contingent deployed in Russia's war

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