Ukraine's commander-in-chief said, "North Korean troops are preparing for full-fledged combat."

Oleksandr Sirsky, the commander of the Ukrainian military, says he has detected a number of situations in which North Korean troops sent to Russia are preparing to deploy them in earnest.

In a Facebook post on the 9th local time, Sirsky said he was receiving many reports of North Korean troops preparing to join the fighting with Russian forces.

He added that he also conveyed this to Christopher Cavoli, the commander of the U.S. European Command.

Sirsky explained that the situation on the front line remains difficult and shows signs of escalation.