Russian Permanent Representative to the U.N. Vassily Nebenzia attends a meeting on Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons with members of the U.N. Security Council, April 24, at United Nations headquarters. AP-Yonhap

Russia's ambassador to the U.N. on Wednesday brushed off reports that North Korean troops were present at its frontlines in the war against Ukraine, calling them "mere assertions."

"These cases have only one thing in common: these are mere assertions; and in the absence of any convincing evidence, they are aimed only at shifting the focus away from the real problems that pose a threat to international peace and security," Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council. (AFP)