What would North Korean troops in Russia mean for war with Ukraine?

North Korean soldiers march during a mass military parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square to celebrate 100 years since the birth of North Korean founder (Ng Han Guan/AP)

American and South Korean officials have said that there is evidence North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia in a potential escalation of the nearly three-year-old war with Ukraine.

If the soldiers’ goal is fighting with Russia in Ukraine, it would be the first time a third country puts boots on the ground in the war.