Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskiy, said on November 9 that there were reports North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces. "We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces," Syrskyi wrote on Facebook of his conversation with Christopher Cavoli, a senior U.S. general who heads the U.S. European Command. Syrskyi said the situation in front line sectors of the nearly 1,000-day war with Russia remained "difficult and show signs of escalation."