Pyongyang appeared to admit for the first time that it sent a contingent of troops to fight in Ukraine, according to the North Korean media.

North Korea's involvement in the war has sparked fears of global escalation, with Seoul especially concerned of Pyongyang's troops gaining experience.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a new 5,000-tonne naval destroyer reportedly equipped with nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The dictator attended the ship's launch ceremony at the Port of Nampo on Friday alongside his daughter and favoured successor,