North Korea has deployed additional troops to Russia to support its war effort in Ukraine, following significant casualties among its initial forces, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).

The NIS reported that the new contingents of North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia, particularly in the western Kursk region during the first week of February. 

The exact number of troops deployed remains unclear, but South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, citing unnamed sources, reported the deployment of 1,000 to 3,000 additional North Korean soldiers to Kursk between January and February.

In October 2024, North Korea deployed an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 troops in Kursk to join Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. In January, Ukraine officials reported that the troops withdrew from Kursk after suffering heavy losses due to their lack of modern combat experience and unfamiliarity with Ukraine’s battlefield conditions.

Estimates of North Korean casualties vary widely, with some reports suggesting that thousands have been killed or wounded since their arrival in Russia last year.

Pyongyang and Moscow have remained silent on the latest troop movements.

In recent months, the two counties have deepened their military and economic cooperation. North Korea has provided Russia with artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles, while Russia has provided access to Russian military technologies, advanced air missile systems, and even exotic animals.

The military cooperation between the two nations intensified following the signing of a mutual defense pact between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June of 2024.