123
The lie wasn't sticking so they created an out.
(hexbear.net)
Much like the "uhygur genocide", when nobody goes for it, they can't admit it was a lie. Just that things are different than they said.
That's where the middle ground truth of it lays for me. There's probably some kind of smallish detachment of observers, but neither Russia nor North Korea would benefit from having them as general infantry or within Ukrainian drone range.