Putin gifts ZOO animals to North Korea including lion & two bears…in return for 11,000 cannon-fodder troops

PRESIDENT Putin has gifted zoo animals to North Korea in a bizarre move to thank the nation for the thousands of troops deployed to help fight Ukraine.

The Russian despot gave the animals to pal Kim Jong-Un - in thanks for the 11,000 North Korean troops being fed into Russia’s "meat grinder" in Ukraine.

More than 70 animals, including an African lion and two brown bears, were delivered to a zoo in the North Korean capital Pyongyang from Moscow's zoo.

The animals were said to be "a gift from Putin to the Korean people."

Alexander Kozlov, Russia's natural resources minister, oversaw the relocation of the animals.

They were transported by plane to the Pyongyang Central Zoo accompanied by veterinarians from the Moscow Zoo.

Pictures published by the Russian government showed a white cockatoo travelling in a crate and Kozlov receiving a tour of the Korean zoo from local officials.

In April, Russia gifted a number of birds including eagles and parrots to the North Korean zoo, just before to two nations signed a mutual defence treaty in June.

Putin was the recipient of a gift for the signing of the treaty which was his first visit to Pyongyang since July 2000.

Kim brought a pair of Pungsan hunting dogs as a gift for the leader of Russia.

Putin had previously gifted him a £350,000 limousine as a thank-you for providing weapons from North Korea to help in the war.

The pair of ruthless dictators have been forging a close relationship in what has been called an "axis of evil" against the West.

Last month, Kim Jong-Un stepped up his support of Russia by deploying 10,000 troops to the Ukrainian border after Russia suffered 600,000 casualties.

Putin trained up the troops before sending them to the Kursk region which saw NATO condemn the move as "a significant escalation."

On November 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that 11,000 North Korean soldiers were fighting in the region.

He confirmed: "Some of these troops have already taken part in hostilities against the Ukrainian military.

"Yes, there are already losses, this is a fact."

The Sun reported that in just a matter of days, Ukrainian forces wiped out 40 "elite" North Korean troops in Kursk.

A North Korean survivor who hid under headless bodies during the bloodbath that took place near the village of Lyubimovka has slammed Russia for "betraying" them.

He claimed they were "sent on an assault in the Kursk region [and] the Russians did not provide us with anything."

"They threw us into an assault without prior intelligence, without ammunition, without normal weapons," he added.

Despite warnings that North Korean soldiers could be used as "human shields" in Ukraine, Kim Jong-un could be readying 100,000 troops for Russia, it was reported on Monday.

It is understood that the troops could be deployed in stages and rotated out instead of being sent into the bloodbath in a single move.

A North Korean defector previously told The Sun that entire units of Kim's troops could desert the minute they reach the frontline.

But, Putin is said to be ready to discuss Donald Trump's Ukraine peace deal, though the Russian leader has a long list of demands that will heavily impact Kyiv.

The Kremlin could agree to freeze conflict along frontlines - but will refuse to surrender any significant territory, five current and former Russian officials told Reuters.

However, President Joe Biden's latest move to allow Ukraine to fire American missiles at Russia within its own territory has sparked fears of an escalation rather than peace.

Ukraine fired at least six US missiles deep into Russia on Tuesday and in return embassies in Kyiv were evacuated on Wednesday as fears increased of a massive revenge strike from Putin.