North Korea intends to deploy additional troops in Russia.

North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops in Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. The DPRK also plans to send weapons to Russia, including attack drones. This was reported on Monday, December 23, by the Yonhap news agency, citing South Korean military sources.

“A comprehensive assessment of various intelligence data indicates that North Korea is preparing for the rotation or increase of troop deployments (in Russia), while currently supplying 240-mm multiple launch rocket systems and 170-mm self-propelled artillery,” stated the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff also declared that North Korea is focused on expanding military cooperation with Russia. Furthermore, according to South Korean intelligence, the DPRK plans to scale up the production of attack drones, which were first showcased during Kim Jong Un's inspection in November. It is noted that a month ago, the North Korean leader attended the testing of various types of UAVs and called for their mass production.

South Korean intelligence also reported that the DPRK has already lost about 1,100 troops fighting against Ukraine on Russia's side.

It is worth recalling that on December 14, Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the participation of North Korean soldiers in assaults in the Kursk region.

On December 22, special operations forces reported the elimination of three more DPRK soldiers in Kursk. Ukrainian defenders also noted that the eliminated North Korean soldiers were found to have forged documents. In this way, the Russians are attempting to pass off the DPRK troops as natives of the Republic of Tuva.