Desperate Putin tells Russian criminal suspects they can avoid going to court if they fight in his Ukraine meat-grinder invasion - as North Korean troops 'arrive in war zone today'

Russian authorities are offering criminal suspects nan action to person charges dropped if they work together to conflict successful Ukraine arsenic Vladimir Putin seeks to replenish unit losses on nan frontlines, according to caller reports.

According to laws signed into effect by nan Russian President successful June 2023, convicts were eligible for pardon aliases to person nan remainder of their sentences struck disconnected if they volunteered to participate successful nan Kremlin's warfare machine.

That move came arsenic portion of a hopeless move to plug losses near by nan infamous Wagner mercenary group which had launched recruitment drives successful penal colonies passim 2022 but was later denied entree arsenic nan Ministry of Defence sought to usage nan maneuver for nan Russian service proper.

However, this caller practice, formalised by authorities successful March 2024, allows individuals accused of crimes to debar prosecution by agreeing to service connected nan beforehand lines earlier being convicted.

Both prosecution and defence lawyers are now required to pass suspects of this option, pinch criminal cases suspended if they enlist.

It comes arsenic Ukrainian intelligence officials declared that thousands of troops from North Korea are owed to get successful Russia's frontline region of Kursk coming to conflict for Putin.

The efforts of Russian authorities to chimney criminal suspects into their subject servants of nan state were uncovered successful a associated investigation betwixt nan BBC and Russian independent outlet Mediazona.

They initially received a leaked signaling of a Russian interrogator telling nan spouse of 1 man facing a imaginable six-year jailhouse word that 'we will adjacent nan case' if her hubby were to motion a subject contract.

'We're seeing an unprecedented displacement successful nan ineligible system,' Olga Romanova, head of nan NGO Russia Behind Bars, told nan BBC.

'Police tin now drawback a man complete nan corpse of personification he has conscionable killed. They tighten nan handcuffs and past nan slayer says: ''Oh wait, I want to spell connected a typical subject operation'', and they adjacent nan criminal case.'

Several lawyers person confidentially confirmed nan believe is now wide - truthful overmuch truthful that erstwhile Olympic golden medalists person been encouraged to return specified a deal.

Andrey Perlov, 62, has been successful detention for complete six months connected charges of embezzling 3 cardinal roubles (£25,000) from a shot club.

His family denies nan accusations and says Perlov, who took nan golden successful nan 50km locomotion astatine nan 1992 Games successful Barcelona, is being pressured to motion up for subject work successful Ukraine, successful speech for his lawsuit being stiff and perchance dropped aft nan war.

When he refused, he was jailed and has been restricted from seeing family members, they claim.

Analysts fishy nan move is 1 of galore options being pursued by Putin and Russian authorities to debar resorting to much conscription and risking nan sentiment of nan wide organization turning against nan warfare successful Ukraine.

To this end, Putin is besides said to person agreed pinch Kim Jong Un that a contingent of North Korean troops beryllium organised into a typical portion to conflict alongside Russians connected nan frontlines.

Russia's Kursk region is still partially occupied by Ukrainian forces that launched a lightning violative location earlier this year.

Kim Jong Un's troops are expected to deploy alongside Russian units to reclaim nan territory.

'We expect nan first units successful nan Kursk direction,' said Kyrylo Budanov, caput of nan Main Intelligence Directorate of nan Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

How galore will beryllium deployed and really they will beryllium equipped is still unclear, but Budanov said he expected immoderate 2,600 troops from Pyongyang to get successful Kursk.

'We'll spot successful a mates of days,' GUR main Lt-Gen Budanov told US website The War Zone.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told his group successful his regular TV broadcast that thousands of North Koreans are being readied for deployment successful Putin's war.

Videos from nan Far East of Russia look to show Kim's soldiers being issued instrumentality and undergoing training - but location has been nary confirmation from nan Kremlin.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said astatine a property briefing today: 'There is grounds that location are DPRK troops successful Russia,' utilizing North Korea's general sanction - nan Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

'What precisely they are doing? Left to beryllium seen. These are things that we request to benignant out,' Austin added.

In 1 caller video, a sound is heard saying: 'The handsome allied soldiers from North Korea person arrived.

'I dream nan warfare will now end.'

Zelensky said: 'We person accusation astir nan mentation of 2 units of subject unit from North Korea.

'Maybe moreover 2 brigades of 6,000 group - and this is simply a challenge.'

North Korea has called nan reports of it sending troops to Russia thing much than 'groundless rumours'.

But South Korean intelligence claims they are being issued clone subject IDs, to make it look they are residents of Siberian regions Yakutia and Buryatia.

It comes arsenic nan North Korean ruler's sister Kim Yo Jong called Ukrainians 'bad dogs' and 'lunatics' successful a tirade against Kyiv.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said nan United States is 'very close' to finalising a $20 cardinal costs to Ukraine that would beryllium paid for pinch proceeds from stiff Russian assets, reported Politico.

Zelensky besides hinted astatine scope to standard backmost nan war, and extremity its 'hot phase', ushering successful bid talks.

'A determination connected power information could beryllium made,' he said.

'In different words: we do not onslaught their power infrastructure, they do not onslaught ours. Could this lead to nan extremity of nan basking shape of nan war? I deliberation so.'