As Russia continues to wage its war in Ukraine, reports have emerged suggesting North Korea and Moscow's joint drone production in 2025.

Though North Korean ballistic missiles account for only a small portion of Russia's missile strikes they carry a large warhead of up to one tonne and have a range of up to 800 km, the military source said. The Iskander-M, an equivalent Russian missile, carries a smaller payload and has a shorter range of 500 km.

North Korean soldiers previously fighting alongside Russia's army on the Kursk front line appear not to have been engaged in combat since mid-January, South Korea's spy agency told AFP on Tuesday, after Ukraine claimed they had been withdrawn following heavy losses.

North Korea sent its best troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. But after months of suffering severe losses, they have been taken off the front line.

North Korean troops, largely special ops forces, have suffered high casualties in bloody assaults not unlike other units, including prison units.

A Ukrainian news outlet has published a video showing the capture of a North Korean soldier, as South Korea's spy agency said Kim Jong Un has pulled troops from Russia's Kursk region. Newsweek has contacted the Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

The commander described the North Korean troops as "cannon fodder" and said their behavior in combat was erratic.