North Korea will send thousands to support reconstruction work in Russia's Kursk region. North Korea has already supplied combat troops and conventional weapons to back Russia's war against Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Russia's TASS news agency quoted Shoigu as saying North Korea would send a "division of builders, two military brigades [of] 5,000 people", as well as 1,000 deminers to help with the "restoration" of the Kursk region.

Thousands of North Korean laborers are already toiling in Russia. A new contingent is headed to the region where North Korean troops fought Ukraine.