12,000 Koreans sent to Ukraine

Fears of escalation are growing

- CHRIS HUGHES

NORTH Korea is sending 12,000 crack troops to aid Russia in its war on Ukraine, sparking fears of an escalating conflict.

The force, including 500 officers and five top generals, could be in action in Ukraine within weeks.

The alarming development has led Kyiv to call for a more robust response from its allies to avoid other proMoscow states becoming involved.

Russia shares a short border with North Korea, led by brutal dictator Kim Jong-Un. The nations have a treaty of mutual help if attacked. Worrying new details of Pyong yang's deployment emerged in Ukrainian intelligence documents handed to the Mirror.