Seoul says more North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia

Feb 27, 2025 - 05:00

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North Korea has deployed more troops to Russia to reinforce Russian forces fighting against Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast, South Korea’s intelligence agency (NIS) reported on 27 February. The exact size remains unknown, but South Korean media, citing anonymous sources, estimate it at 1,000 to 3,000 soldiers.

Ukraine launched its incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast last August to draw Moscow’s forces away from Ukrainian frontlines and establish a buffer zone with Sumy Oblast. Initially, Ukrainian troops seized over 1,000 square kilometers. After six months of fighting, Russian forces failed to dislodge them, and Kyiv’s troops still control 400 square kilometers. Previously, Pyongyang deployed around 12,000 troops, as per Ukraine’s military intelligence, to the region to support Russia, suffering up to 4,000 casualties in the battles, according to Ukrainian reports.

South Korean intelligence is still assessing the scale of reinforcements after Pyongyang’s contingent suffered heavy losses in previous battles against Ukrainians, NK News says.

In a media notice, NIS reported that North Korean reinforcements entered combat in Kursk Oblast in early February. The agency did not specify the number of troops, stating that it is still assessing the scale of the latest deployment.

The news follows reports of North Korean forces temporarily withdrawing from the front lines in January for retraining after heavy losses, before returning to combat this month.

Yonhap reported on 27 February that over 1,000 Pyongyang troops were sent to Russia by ship from Chongjin and by rail from Rason between January and February. Citing anonymous military sources, the report noted that these transport methods made tracking their movements more difficult.

Meanwhile, the Korea JoongAng Daily, citing its own sources, estimated the size of the new deployment to be between 1,000 and 3,000 troops, according to NK News.

The NIS has previously stated that North Korea has deployed more than 11,000 troops to Russia to fight in the Ukraine war. Additionally, Russia has been using North Korean weapons in the war, including Koksan self-propelled artillery in eastern Ukraine and North Korean ballistic missiles targeting residential areas in Ukrainian cities.

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