North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to fight with Russia in Kursk, U.S. officials say. The troops are wearing Russian uniforms and have been equipped by Moscow, but they will probably fight in their own discrete units, U.S. defense officials said.

Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Saturday that there were reports North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces. "We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces,

President-elect Trump spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday and warned him not to escalate the fighting in Ukraine, according to a source briefed on the call. Why it matters: Trump said publicly that he is going to end the war in Ukraine and use his personal relationship with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to get a peace deal.

Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Saturday that Ukraine faced increasing difficulties in its fight against Moscow's invasion as Russian forces advance and North Korean troops prepare to join the Kremlin's campaign.

Russia and Ukraine launched record drone attacks on each other despite a phone call reported by the Washington Post from US president-elect Donald Trump urging Russian President Vladimir Putin not to escalate the conflict.