The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea stated that in addition to 3,000 North Korean troops, they also continue to send missiles, artillery equipment, and ammunition to assist Russia, and may further increase arms supplies depending on the situation at the front.
The military equipment that North Korea sent to Russia includes a "significant number" of short-range ballistic missiles, 170-millimeter self-propelled howitzers, and about 220 units of 240-millimeter multiple rocket launch systems.
North Korea has already sent about 11,000 troops to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine, marking its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the Korean War in the 1950s. According to South Korean intelligence estimates, about 4,000 of them have been killed or wounded.
The high level of casualties among North Korean soldiers is attributed to their inadequate training for modern warfare, particularly in the use of combat drones. Additionally, Russian commanders use North Koreans in frontal assaults without sufficient fire support. Despite this, Ukrainian military and intelligence services note that North Korean troops are gaining valuable combat experience and have played an important role in Russia's strategy to deplete Ukrainian forces in battles in the Kursk region.
Photo: KCNA