North Korea denies sending troops to Russia amid Ukraine conflict claims

North Korea's UN representative denied claims that the country has sent troops to Russia to assist in the Ukraine conflict. This statement came after South Korea's spy agency reported a deployment of 1,500 North Korean special forces training in Russia. The North Korean representative called the allegations "groundless rumors" and accused Seoul of trying to damage relations between North Korea and Russia. North Korean state media has not addressed the troop deployment claims. Russia has not confirmed the deployment but defended its military ties with North Korea. The U.S. and NATO have expressed concerns about the potential escalation of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.