About 2,000 North Korean soldiers killed fighting for Russia, Seoul says
Roughly 2,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have been killed while fighting against Ukraine, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Sept. 2, citing lawmakers briefed by the country's intelligence service.
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, Pyongyang plans to send an additional 6,000 troops to Russia as part of its third wave of deployment.
Around 1,000 combat engineers have already arrived in Russia, while troops dispatched earlier are reportedly stationed in the "rear front as reserve forces."
North Korea has claimed to have suffered only 350 casualties in earlier phases of the deployment, while South Korean intelligence reported in April that the number of Pyongyang's soldiers killed in action was around 600.
Pyongyang has become one of Moscow's most important military allies during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, supplying artillery shells, missiles, and soldiers.
North Korean involvement became visible after Ukraine's August 2024 cross-border offensive into Russia's Kursk Oblast. Russia retook much of the territory in March 2025, with support from North Korean forces.
Pyongyang confirmed in April that North Korean troops were fighting alongside Russian units, though reporting in the media suggested their presence months earlier.
The deepening military ties follow the June 2024 signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, under which the two countries pledged mutual aid if either were attacked.
