The Financial Times has quoted a Ukrainian official as saying that North Korean troops in Russia are about 50 kilometers from Ukraine's border.

The British newspaper quotes senior Ukrainian intelligence officials as saying that about 3,000 North Korean troops have been secretly transported in civilian trucks from Russia's far east to its western Kursk region.

The report says the North Korean troops were housed on Monday in barracks about 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. It says only a few hundred of the 3,000 are special forces.

The report notes that Ukrainian officials have questioned the troops' caliber and fighting capability, saying, "They have never fought in actual combat and their experience is very far from the reality of modern warfare."

CNN says a small number of North Korean troops are already inside Ukraine, according to two western intelligence officials. But CNN adds that the United States cannot yet confirm the reports.

Meanwhile, South Korea's National Intelligence Service says some North Korean troops may have been moved to the battlefront in Ukraine. The international community is stepping up vigilance against the troops' movements.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui is expected to arrive in Moscow on Wednesday for talks with senior Russian officials including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The focus is on what kind of discussions will be held to advance cooperation between the two countries.
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin had no plans to meet Choe.