North Korean soldiers serving with Vladimir Putin's army have been accused of going on drunken rampages and terrorising local Russian communities. Pyongyang sent around 11,000 soldiers to Russia last year, in a bid to boost the Kremlin's troop numbers on the front lines.

The North Koreans have been deployed to the Kursk region, where they were involved in fierce battles with Ukraine's army. They have provided much-needed support to Putin's beleaguered army, helping to retake most of the territory seized by Kyiv's forces last August.

However, reports have emerged of North Korean soldiers binge drinking, stealing and trying to rape women.

A message in a private chat channel for Tuvan units noted a breakdown in military discipline among Kim Jong-un's men.

"Fifteen cases of drunkenness in the past month, 4 fights, 2 attempts to rape civilians and 7 thefts.," they wrote.

"There are rumours in the unit that it is not only scary to turn your back, you don't even want to give them weapons.

"Of course, they have strengthened our mobilisation resource, but this has led to many more problems than expected, because the vaunted discipline of North Korea has evaporated at the slightest freedom of action for Korean soldiers."

Pyongyang's forces have suffered heavy losses since their deployment to Russia, according to South Korea.

About 4,000 of the original batch have been killed or injured in combat, forcing Kim Jong-un to send another 3,000 reinforcements earlier this year.

North Korea has also sent millions of rounds of ammunition a long with ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems.

Both the weapons and soldiers gave Russia a critical battlefield advantage, according to a Reuters investigation.

North Korea confirmed for the first time in April that it had sent troops to help Putin in his war with Ukraine.

In a report on state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang's military claimed its soldiers helped Russian forces "completely liberate" the Kursk border region, according to an order given by leader Kim Jong Un.

Pyongyang's announcement came just days after Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov praised the "heroism" of North Korean troops, the first time Moscow has publicly acknowledged their involvement.