North Korea appears to have sent at least 3,000 more soldiers to Russia in January and February to support Moscow's war against Ukraine, South Korean military said on Thursday, UNN reports citing Yonhap.
Of the approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia, 4,000 have died, and about 3,000 or more appear to have been additionally deployed in January and February," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
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The assessment comes amid concerns that the deepening military rapprochement between North Korea and Russia could lead to Moscow transferring advanced weapons technologies to Pyongyang in exchange for troop deployments.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that in addition to troop deployments, the DPRK continues to supply Russia with missiles, ammunition and artillery equipment, including "a significant number of short-range ballistic missiles and about 220 170-mm self-propelled howitzers and 240-mm multiple launch rocket systems."
South Korean military said that the DPRK appears to be conducting technological improvements to launch another military spy satellite, although there are no signs of such a launch.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it is closely monitoring possible North Korean provocations, including launches of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, a hypersonic missile and a submarine-launched ballistic missile.