North Korea Deploys 3,000 Troops to Russia in Support of Ukraine Conflict, South Korea Reports

Seoul: North Korea has sent approximately 3,000 troops to Russia in support of its military efforts in Ukraine, with plans to increase this number to 10,000 by December, as reported by South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Wednesday. The NIS shared this information with South Korean lawmakers during a parliamentary intelligence committee meeting, according to Yonhap News Agency. According to Kuwait News Agency, the NIS had previously indicated that North Korea was preparing to send a significant number of soldiers to Russia to join the conflict against Ukraine. The initial deployment of around 1,500 soldiers took place last week, with a subsequent batch bringing the total to 3,000 troops currently stationed in Russia. Representative Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party relayed this information to reporters, citing a report from NIS Director Cho Tae-yong. The North Korean troops have not yet been deployed to active battlefields. Instead, they are currently positioned at militar y facilities within Russia, where they are acclimating to their new environment. The soldiers are undergoing specialized training, which includes learning to operate military equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles. The NIS suggested that Pyongyang's decision to dispatch troops is aimed at strengthening military ties with Russia, potentially seeking Russian backing in Korean Peninsula matters during emergencies, addressing internal economic difficulties, and modernizing its military capabilities. The existing security pact between North Korea and Russia obligates both nations to assist each other in the face of aggression.