"North Korean troops will be in action soon." Radio announcement...a fierce diplomatic war behind the scenes.

[Anchor]
The Ukrainian military released the North Korean military's wiretapping and evaluated it as ready to participate in the operation on a large scale.

In the midst of this, there were reports that Russian President Putin spoke to U.S. President-elect Trump on the phone and mentioned the war in Ukraine.

Reporter Kwon Young-hee reports.

[Reporter]
Ukrainian forces have released North Korean military communications intercepted in the Kursk region of Russia.

[North Korean military radio communication: (Wait for me). a lion, a lion, a seal, a receiver} two seals, a seal, a seal, a seal, a receiver]
It was interpreted as containing the
immediate return command.

Ukraine and the United States understand that about 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia and are currently in Kursk.

It is expected that they will be put into practice soon.

The commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Sirsky, says he has detected circumstantial evidence that the North Korean military is preparing to join the fighting with Russian forces.

There are also reports that Russia has already called up 50,000 troops, including North Korean troops, to retake Kursk.

If Russia wins, it could go beyond Kursk and into Ukrainian territory.

In this case, the North Korean military is likely to stop at the border.

If the end-of-war negotiations begin with the election of former President Trump in the U.S. presidential election, many predict that the occupied territories of the two countries will remain the same.

Because of this, the two sides cannot retreat further.

[Jake Sullivan / National Security Adviser] Our approach has remained the same for the past two and a half years. Making sure Ukraine is in as strong a position as possible on the battlefield so that it can be in the most advantageous position at the negotiating table.]

Behind-the-scenes contact between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States is also in full swing.

The Washington Post reported that Trump spoke with Russian President Putin on the phone on the 7th and advised him not to escalate the war.

It is analyzed that he pressured the end of the war, reminding the U.S. military presence in Europe.

Ukraine says it remains unchanged in its position to return the occupied territories, but says it will cooperate with Trump.

We are also actively pursuing a meeting between President Zelensky and President-elect Trump.

I'm YTN's Kwon Younghee.