South Korean spy agency: More North Korean troops entering Russia
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that North Korea seems to have deployed additional troops to assist Russia in its ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a brief statement, the agency was trying to determine exactly how many more troops North Korea has deployed to Russia, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
The regime, ruled by dictator Kim Jong Un, last year sent between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia to help fight against a Ukrainian invasion into the Russian region of Kursk.
The NIS believes North Korean troops have sustained heavy casualties in Kursk, and temporarily withdrew from the region before being redeployed earlier this month.
North Korean soldiers are highly disciplined and well trained, but observers say they’ve become easy targets for drone and artillery attacks on Russian-Ukraine battlefields due to their lack of combat experience and unfamiliarity with the terrain.
In January, the NIS said about 300 North Korean soldiers had died and another 2,700 had been injured.
Russia and North Korea have deepened ties in recent years, leading South Korea and the US to worry that Russia could reward North Korea's loyalty with technology to enhance its nuclear weapons program.
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