The leader of Russia's Communist Party has hailed North Korean troops deployed in Moscow's war against Ukraine in a letter sent to the North's leader Kim Jong-un, according to the North's state media Sunday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call to discuss their deepening ties and war efforts against Ukraine, the countries’ state media said Wednesday, ahead of Putin’s planned meeting with U.

More than 50,000 North Koreans will be sent to work in Russia, as Moscow's war in Ukraine drains labour pools.