Roughly 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing the country’s intelligence agency.
North Korea has suffered about 4,700 casualties in the conflict, which includes deaths and injuries. But some of the country’s troops have shown signs of improvement in combat capabilities over about six months by using modern weapons such as drones, the lawmakers said.
“After six months of participation in the war, the North Korean military has become less inept, and its combat capability has significantly improved as it becomes accustomed to using new weapons such as drones,” Lee Seong-kweun, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters, after being briefed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
A total of about 15,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to fight Ukraine.
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Under a defense treaty that was signed last year, Pyongyang agreed to deploy troops and supply weapons to Russia in exchange for technical assistance on spy satellites, as well as drones and anti-air missiles, the lawmakers said.
Earlier this week, North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent troops to fight Ukrainian forces. It claims it has helped Russia retake its Kursk territory that was controlled by Ukraine.
North Korea’s Central Military Commission said on Monday that the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, had sent troops to Russia to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.” North Korean troops eventually made “an important contribution” to Russia seizing the border territory, the commission said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for sending troops and promised not to forget their sacrifices.
“The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the DPRK special forces,” Putin said on Monday. “We will always honor the heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our common freedom, fighting side by side with their Russian brothers in arms.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia could provide military assistance to North Korea if necessary in accordance with the defense treaty.
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The two U.S. adversaries have moved significantly closer to each other in recent years.
Lee said the remains of dead North Korean soldiers were cremated in Kursk before being shipped back home.
North Korea is also believed to have sent about 15,000 workers to Russia, according to the lawmakers, citing intelligence assessments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he doubts Putin wants to end the war. Just a day before, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were “very close to a deal.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
