North Korea is reportedly preparing to send additional troops to Russia to fight against Ukrainian forces. On Friday, South Korea’s military stated that despite facing losses and some of its troops being captured by Ukrainian forces, North Korea is planning to send reinforcements.
In a statement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, “It has been four months since troops were sent to assist in the Russia-Ukraine war. There have been numerous casualties and incidents of capture. Yet, North Korea is suspected to be preparing to send more troops to Russia.”
The JCS analysis did not provide specific details on what steps Pyongyang might take next. However, North Korea is also reportedly preparing to launch a spy satellite and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), although there are no immediate signs of action, according to the JCS.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that two North Korean soldiers had been captured in Russia’s Kursk region.
For the first time since entering the conflict, Ukraine has captured North Korean soldiers alive.
According to Ukrainian and Western observers, Pyongyang has deployed approximately 11,000 troops to support Moscow’s forces in western Kursk, a region Ukraine had captured in a surprise attack last year. Kyiv claims that over 3,000 casualties have occurred.