Seoul, April 27 -- Russia has, for the first time since the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv began, admitted that North Korean troops took part in its war against Ukraine, state media outlets in both Russia and South Korea reported.

Russia's Chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, noted on Saturday in a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin that North Korean troops had played a crucial role in the liberation of the Kursk border region, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

"I want to point out the participation of servicemen from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the liberation of the Kursk Region's border areas, who, in accordance with the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our c...