Seoul Spy Agency: Around 2,000 North Korean Soldiers Killed in Russia Deployment

 Seoul, Sept 2: About 2,000 North Korean soldiers sent to support Russia in the war in Ukraine are estimated to have been killed, South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday, according to lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun.


The National Intelligence Service (NIS) had previously reported in April that at least 600 soldiers had died. Based on updated assessments, the agency now estimates the number of casualties at around 2,000.


South Korean and Western intelligence sources say North Korea sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia in 2024, mostly to the Kursk region, along with artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems.


Lawmaker Lee added that North Korea plans to deploy another 6,000 soldiers and engineers to Russia, with 1,000 already arrived.


Earlier this year, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said North Korea would send builders and deminers to the Kursk region. North Korea confirmed its troop deployment in April and acknowledged that soldiers had been killed in combat.


Since then, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has met families of fallen soldiers and offered condolences. State media showed Kim embracing returning soldiers, kneeling before portraits of the dead, and placing medals and flowers in their honor.


Russia and North Korea signed a military agreement last year, including a mutual defense clause, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rare visit to North Korea.

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