Seoul, 27 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The South Korean military leadership on Thursday said that Pyongyang appeared to have sent 3,000 more troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, news agency Yonhap reported.

"Of some 11,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia, 4,000 casualties have occurred, and it appears that some 3,000 or more have been additionally dispatched in January and February," the agency cited the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul as saying.

In late February, South Korea's intelligence service said it believed that Pyongyang had sent a second wave of troops to the front line in Russia's Kursk region, though at the time it said it didn't know the exact scope of the deployment.

Yonhap cited the general staff in Seoul as saying that the North Korean army has already suffered some 4,000 casualties in the war in Ukraine. However, it is unclear whether the figure includes wounded soldiers in addition to dead ones.

In addition to sending troops, North Korea continues to supply Russia with ammunition and weapons on a large scale, including short-range missiles, self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers, according to the South Korean military.

Photo: EPA