• US officials fear North Korean military action ahead of the US election, NBC News reported.
• Senior officials told the outlet that such a move could be encouraged by Vladimir Putin.
• North Korea and Russia have formed close military ties in recent years.

US officials are preparing for potential North Korean military action — possibly encouraged by Russian President Vladimir Putin — in the run-up to the US election in November, NBC News reported, citing six senior US officials.

Such a move could be designed to create chaos in another part of the world as the election process ramps up, they said.

“We have no doubt that North Korea will be provocative this year. It’s just a matter of how escalatory it is,” one US intelligence official added.