After failing to capture the capital Kyiv early in the war and win a decisive victory, Mr Putin scaled back his war ambitions to take the Donbas industrial heartland in Ukraine‘s east, which covers the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Nearly 10,000 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia near Ukraine’s border, sparking concern that they may soon join Moscow’s war effort. US secretary of state Antony Blinken confirmed the deployment on Thursday, adding that these troops have been trained in artillery and drone operations and basic infantry tactics.

Ukraine attacked North Korean troops for the first time since they were deployed in the Russian border region where Kyiv’s forces have been holding territory since August, according to an official.

In a dramatic escalation, 10,000 North Korean troops have reportedly joined Russia in the war against Ukraine, deployed initially to Kursk. This deployment could complicate Russia's command structure due to language barriers,