Putin's army in disarray after North Koreans turn their guns on Russian soldiers

North Korean soldiers reportedly shot at Russian military vehicles in the Kursk region close to the Ukrainian border, in another friendly fire fiasco. Pyongyang is believed to have sent around 15,000 troops to help bolster Putin's army in the western region.

This followed a pact signed last June between Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un, whereby the two countries pledged mutual military assistance in the event either was invaded. At the time, Kim hailed the treaty as the "strongest ever", before reaffirming his support in September, when he offered the Kremlin his "unconditional support" for its war in Ukraine. North Korea has also provided the Russian army with missiles, long-range weapons and thousands of artillery shells.

In return, Pyongyang is thought to have received food, money and technical help, as it seeks to modernise its army.

However, numerous friendly fire incidents involving Kim's troops have been reported over the past year, with some involving fatalities.

The latest episode is said to have occurred in the last few days, when North Korean soldiers opened fire on a Russian military convoy.

There has been as yet no official confirmation of the incident, which was first reported by pro-Russian military bloggers. The bloggers claim that conflicts between Kim and Putin's soldiers are becoming more frequent.

Kim's soldiers have even been accused of shooting Russians trying to take photographs of them with their mobile phones.

The North Koreans are said to suspect anyone taking photos of them as being spies.

A deadly shooting incident in January resulted in the deaths of five Russian soldiers by three North Koreans.

The shootings sparked a major manhunt with the North Korean renegades described as "armed and dangerous".

Posters were distributed in the Kursk region, warning people to be on their guard and not to approach the suspects.

"On January 13, 2025, in the area of the village of Bolshoye Soldatskoye, Kursk region, three DPRK soldiers killed five servicemen of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade, military unit 13140, from Sevastopol," the posters said.

"The criminals are armed and dangerous ... if found, observe personal safety measures and report to the Kursk Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."