North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops and weapons, including kamikaze drones, to aid Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine, the South Korean military said on Dec. 23.
Thousands of North Korean personnel are already stationed in Russia. In recent days, North Korean soldiears have begun engaging in assault operations alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) believe that Pyongyang is now planning to send additional military support, the Yonhap news agency reported.
"A comprehensive assessment of multiple intelligence shows that North Korea is preparing to rotate or increase the deployment of troops (in Russia), while currently supplying 240 millimeter rocket launchers and 170 millimeter self-propelled artillery," the JCS said.
"There are also some signs of (the North) moving to manufacture and supply suicide drones, first unveiled during Kim Jong Un's on-site inspection in November."
By deepening military cooperation with Moscow, Pyongyang hopes to gain practical battlefield experience and the ability to modernize its weapons systems, the JCS said.
North Korea has emerged as Russia's leading ally in the full-scale war against Ukraine, providing not only ballistic missiles and artillery ammunition but also soldiers. The two nations signed a defense treaty in June, requiring either state to render military aid to the other in the event of an attack.
After reporting initial but limited clashes with North Korean troops in the fall, Ukraine in December announced that Russia had begun using North Korean units in ground assaults.
South Korean officials have reported that at least 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine. According to lawmaker Lee Sung-kwon, North Korean troops are suffering high casualty rates in part due to their inexperience with drone warfare.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is attempting to hide information about North Korean casualties.
Asami Terajima
