North Korea has shipped 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s far east for training and will likely be deployed for combat in the war in Ukraine, South Korea’s spy agency said.

South Korea's spy agency said North Korea sent some 1,500 special forces troops to Russia for training before they're deployed to the Ukraine war.

Earlier on Friday, South Korean media, citing the NIS, reported that North Korea has decided to dispatch a total of 12,000 troops formed into four brigades to Russia. North Korea has 1.2 million troops, one of the largest militaries in the world, but it lacks actual combat experience.