North Korea has ratified a mutual defense treaty with Russia, state media reported on Tuesday.

The deal calls for each side to assist the other in case of an armed attack.

The announcement comes days after Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported its forces clashed with North Korean units stationed in the Russian border region of Kursk.

What did North Korean media say about the deal?

North Korea's official KCNA news agency said the deal "was ratified as a decree" by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"The treaty will take effect from the day when both sides exchanged the ratification instruments," KCNA said.

The announcement comes after Russian lawmakers voted unanimously last week to ratify the deal. It was then signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia and North Korea signed the strategic partnership deal in June during a visit by Putin to Pyongyang. It stipulates that either of the two countries would provide military assistance "without delay" in the case of an attack on the other.

North Korea reportedly sends soldiers to Russia

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui recently visited Moscow and said Pyongyang would "stand firmly by our Russian comrades until victory day," referring to Russia's war in Ukraine a "sacred struggle."

South Korea, Ukraine and Western countries say North Korea has deployed around 10,000 troops to assist Russia in its war.

Western countries have long accused Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with artillery shells and missiles for use in Ukraine.

Last week, the Group of Seven (G7) countries condemned the increasing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow and expressed concerns that North Korean soldiers could receive training on the use of ballistic missiles in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

sdi/lo (AFP, Reuters)