North Korean leader vows ‘invariable support' for Russia in war against Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed his country will “invariably support” Russia in its war against Ukraine, state-run media reported on Saturday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim met with visiting Russian Defense Minister Andrei Beloussov in Pyongyang on Friday and praised the growing ties between the two countries in all sectors including defense.

"The recent counterattack against Ukraine by the Russian government and army is a timely and effective measure to inform the U.S., the West and Ukraine, which are resorting to reckless military adventurism, of the gravity of the situation and the will of Russia to take tough counteraction," Kim said.

Kim said he supports Russia's policy to defend its “sovereignty and territorial integrity” from the "imperialists' moves for hegemony."

He also expressed his will to further expand and develop the relations between the two countries in all fields, including politics, economy and military affairs, under the agreement reached at the North Korea-Russia Pyongyang summit in June this year.

Belousov's visit to Pyongyang came amid claims by the US, South Korea, and Ukraine that North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia to assist Moscow in its fight against Ukraine.

However, neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed or denied the claims.

In June, Pyongyang and Moscow signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that requires them to provide military assistance to one another in the event of third-party aggression.

Last week, South Korea's spy agency claimed that North Korea had supplied Russia with additional self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers.