North Korea appears to have deployed at least 3,000 additional soldiers to Russia in January and February to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine, according to South Korea’s military statement released on 27 March.
Yonhap reports that the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said:
“Of the some 11,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia, 4,000 casualties have occurred, and it appears that some 3,000 or more have been additionally dispatched (this year).“
Alongside the troop deployment, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that North Korea is still providing Russia with a range of military supplies. These include “a considerable amount of short-range ballistic missiles and around 220 pieces of 170 millimeter self-propelled howitzers and 240 mm rocket launchers.”
Since signing a landmark defense agreement last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been strengthening their security relationship, committing to provide immediate military support in the event of an attack on either country.
This week, Kim Jong Un supervised the testing of new AI-powered attack drones, with North Korea’s state media reporting that he instructed their further development “in keeping with the trend of modern warfare” On 27 March, South Korea’s military revealed that Pyongyang also introduced a new reconnaissance drone, which could partly have been sourced from Russia. A spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) noted that “internal equipment and such parts could be related to Russia,” according to CNN.
Related:
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- North Korea tests new air defense system amid growing Russia partnership
- Shoigu’s visit to Pyongyang deepens Russia-North Korea military alliance against Ukraine
- Seoul, Kyiv discuss transfer of North Korean POWs to South Korea
- Russian forces advance east of Sudzha city as North Korean troops lead Kursk Oblast counteroffensive
- Seoul says more North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia