North Korea deployed an additional 3,000 troops to Russia in January and February, further bolstering Moscow’s forces in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
This development was reported by the South Korean media outlet Yonhap, citing the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
This latest deployment brings the estimated total of North Korean personnel in Russia to around 11,000, with approximately 4,000 killed or wounded, according to South Korea’s military assessment.
The JCS warned that the growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow could result in Russia transferring advanced weapons technology to North Korea in exchange for continued troop support.
Weapons and Support from North Korea
In addition to sending troops, North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with a large volume of military equipment, including:
Short-range KN-23 ballistic missiles
170mm self-propelled Koksan howitzers
Approximately 220 units of 240mm multiple rocket launchers
The JCS cautioned that these weapons shipments could increase further, depending on how the situation on the battlefield evolves.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that 4,000 North Korean soldiers—out of a claimed 12,000 deployed—had been killed in fighting on the Kursk front.
