- विज्ञापन -
Seoul: On February 27, it was reported by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) that North Korea has likely sent additional troops to assist Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the NIS is currently evaluating the number of troops recently deployed, estimated to be between 1,000 and 3,000, who were transported to Kursk via Russian cargo vessels and military aircraft from January to February.
Previously, the NIS indicated that North Korean troops in Russia had not engaged in combat in the Kursk area since mid-January, which they attributed to significant casualties among the troops, estimating that around 300 had been killed and approximately 2,700 injured. Colonel Oleksandr, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, remarked earlier this month to CNN that there had been no sightings of North Korean troops on the front lines for the past three weeks, suggesting their withdrawal due to heavy losses.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak echoed these reports. According to Ukrainian officials and Western intelligence, about 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia, with estimates indicating that around 4,000 of these troops have either been killed or wounded.
A report from CNN, referencing the Institute for the Study of War, noted that as of January 26, Ukraine had made progress in the Kursk region, while Russian forces claimed to have recaptured it. Additionally, in November 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified a bilateral treaty with North Korea, promising mutual military support in case either nation faced an attack. Since the onset of the conflict in February 2022, military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has intensified.
