North Korea sent an additional 3,000 troops and missiles to Russia at the beginning of 2025 to support its invasion in Ukraine, South Korea’s military said in its latest assessment, as Kim Jong Un is likely to visit Moscow again.
The reinforcements were sent in January and February, adding to the roughly 11,000 troops already in Russia, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The development coincides with Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko's announcement that Mr Kim’s visit to Moscow is at the “preparatory stage”.
The assessment said additional troops have been deployed following 4,000 casualties of North Korean soldiers in combat in battlefields.
"Of the some 11,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia, 4,000 casualties have occurred, and it appears that some 3,000 or more have been additionally dispatched in January and February," the JCS said.
North Korea has also supplied missiles, ammunition and artillery equipment, including "a considerable amount of short-range ballistic missiles and around 220 pieces of 170mm self-propelled howitzers and 240mm rocket launchers", it said.
North’s contributions are “expected to increase according to the situation,” it added.
The new induction of North Korean troops is in addition to the military personnel send to Russia, in Pyongyang’s first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War.
Russia and North Korea have not denied or accepted their military collaboration.
However, Mr Kim has repeatedly defended Russia for its war in Ukraine and called their fight “just”.
He reiterated his unwavering support for Russia's war in Ukraine during a meeting with a top Russian security official, Sergei Shoigu, last week in Pyongyang.
State media reports said Mr Kim and Mr Shoigu reaffirmed their commitment to uphold a major mutual defence treaty agreed upon last year.
Russia and North Korea, two of the world's most politically and economically isolated nations, have deepened their ties in a strategic partnership aimed at countering Western influence. Driven by shared grievances against the US and its allies, the two countries have increasingly cooperated in military, economic, and diplomatic spheres.
Intelligence officials believe North Korea has been receiving economic and military support from Russia in exchange for its conventional weapons and troops. Experts suggest North Korea is likely to deepen its cooperation with Russia to maximise assistance before the war concludes.
Mr Rudenko who made a visit to North Korea last week said: “Just two weeks ago, during my visit to North Korea, we discussed this issue,” according to Interfax.
He added that discussions are also underway for a possible visit of foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to Pyongyang to continue what he said was a “strategic dialogue with our Korean friends”.
It comes as 30 world leaders, including UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, are meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Thursday to discuss how to strengthen military support for Ukraine.
It is taking place after Mr Zelensky agreed earlier this month to proceed with ceasefire talks to ensure a resumption of US aid and intelligence sharing.
But Russia has placed additional demands on the implementation of a ceasefire deal in the Black Sea and on energy targets, and many European nations believe a peace accord remains distant.
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