North Korea has deployed additional troops to Russia, South Korean intelligence says

North Korea has sent additional troops to Russia to take part in combat operations against Ukraine, South Korean media reported, citing intelligence sources, according to Reuters.

The troops have reportedly been sent to fight in Russia’s Kursk region. Reuters did not specify their number, but the South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported that between 1,000 and 3,000 additional North Korean military personnel had arrived in Russia.

In October, intelligence agencies from the United States, South Korea, and Ukraine reported that between 10,000 and 12,000 North Korean troops had arrived in Russia and were deployed in combat in the Kursk region.

According to Ukrainian officials, North Korean forces have suffered heavy losses, with as many as 4,000 killed or wounded. North Korean troops withdrew from the combat zone in early January but had reappeared in the Kursk region by mid-February.