North Korea will stand with Russia until it achieves victory in its “holy war” against Ukraine, Pyongyang’s foreign minister has said.

Choe Son-hui made the comments at talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow as North Korean soldiers prepared to enter battle against Ukraine.

“Until the day of victory we will firmly stand alongside our Russian comrades,” she said.

Ms Choe praised a “new level of relations of invincible military comradeship” between Pyongyang and Moscow and said that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un had ordered his officials to provide “powerful” assistance to the Kremlin.

“We have no doubt that under the wise leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian army and people will achieve a great victory in their sacred struggle,” she said.