Seoul: North Korea appears to have dispatched at least 3,000 more soldiers to Russia in January and February to support Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine, South Korea's military reported Thursday. The move raises concerns over potential military collaborations between North Korea and Russia, which could result in Moscow transferring advanced arms technologies to Pyongyang as a form of reciprocity for the troop deployment.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) provided an assessment indicating that out of approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia, 4,000 have been casualties. The JCS noted that an additional 3,000 or more troops have been dispatched since the start of the year. This information comes alongside reports that North Korea continues to supply Russia with missiles, ammunition, and artillery equipment, including a significant number of short-range ballistic missiles and around 220 pieces of 170 millimeter self-propelled howitzers and 240 mm rocket launchers.
The South Korean military also indicated that North Korea seems to be making technological advancements aimed at launching another military spy satellite, although there are currently no signs of an imminent launch. The JCS is maintaining vigilant monitoring of North Korea's potential provocations, which may include launches of solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
A notable incident involved a wounded soldier, suspected to be North Korean, who was captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region. This development was highlighted by a file photo posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's X account on January 11, 2025.