Russia’s ambassador to North Korea said that its Asian ally is also hosting Russian children orphaned by its war against Ukraine, as the two nations deepen ties.

We still don’t know for sure if there are North Korean troops fighting in Russia against Ukrainian forces. Perhaps we never will. But Ukraine’s case for their presence was not made stronger by the sudden announcement on January 30 that they were gone.

North Korea has treated hundreds of Russian soldiers injured in Ukraine, Moscow’s ambassador to Pyongyang told state media, as he revealed new details of the reclusive state’s backing for the Kremlin’s war effort.

Pyongyang would seem to have little reason to send its own people to risk their lives in the Russia-Ukraine War. But these soldiers appear to be at the heart of the North Korea-Russia security partnership.