North Korea is “significantly benefiting” from its troops gaining battlefield experience fighting alongside Russian forces as it makes them more capable of waging war against rivals South Korea and Japan, a US official warned the UN.

The United States warned on Wednesday that North Korea is benefiting from its troops fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, gaining experience that makes Pyongyang "more capable of waging war against its neighbors.

North Korea is learning combat lessons fighting Ukraine, a US official said. It means the authoritarian state is more of a threat to its neighbors. North Korea has dispatched around 12,000 troops to fight for Russia.

The president noted that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is “not just maintaining his investments in aggression but doubling them.” Read also: Captured Russian marine exposes North Korean troop wipeout in Kursk Oblast - video “He has even started hiring soldiers from North Korea to continue this war.

As the war in Ukraine continues, countries involved in the conflict are facing significant losses. One of these nations is North Korea, which has sent soldiers to support Russia. The situation has been discussed recently by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.