The U.S. and its allies are “alarmed” by North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats as well as its increasing military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday, but couldn’t confirm Ukrainian claims that North Korean soldiers were sent to fight for Moscow.

Ukraine says North Korean military engineers have been sent to Russia to check how well missiles are launching.

Russia's war in Ukraine may have reached a new stage this week, with reports that North Korea has moved from supplying Moscow with weapons to sending its own troops. A Western diplomat familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent on Oct.