North Korea has shipped 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s far east for training and will likely be deployed for combat in the war in Ukraine, South Korea’s spy agency said.

Ukraine warned of a “huge” escalation risk on Saturday as hundreds of elite North Korean troops were predicted to enter the battlefield within days in support of Russia.

Earlier on Friday, South Korean media, citing the NIS, reported that North Korea has decided to dispatch a total of 12,000 troops formed into four brigades to Russia. North Korea has 1.2 million troops, one of the largest militaries in the world, but it lacks actual combat experience.

U.S. and South Korean officials say there’s evidence that North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia in a potential escalation of a nearly 3-year-old war with Ukraine

The United States, South Korea, Britain and Ukraine say North Korea has sent troops to Russia for possible deployment in Ukraine, a move that the White House said on Wednesday is in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich has the latest on the war in Ukraine on 'Special Report.'

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby spoke at the White House briefing on Oct. 23 about evidence North Korea sent military forces to Russia.

South Korea’s spy chief has told lawmakers that North Korea has sent another 1,500 troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine