South Korean Intelligence: 2,000 North Korean Soldiers Killed in Ukraine War

South Korean intelligence has reported that around 2,000 North Korean soldiers have already been killed in Russia's war against Ukraine, while Pyongyang is preparing to send thousands more soldiers and engineers to Russia.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Deutsche Welle, citing Yonhap News.

According to updated estimates by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the death toll is about two thousand soldiers. This is a significant increase compared to previous data in April, when the number of deaths was estimated at about 600.

“North Korea revealed it sustained around 350 deaths in the first and second rounds of deployment, while the NIS reported at least 600 deaths in a briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee in April," National Assembly member Lee Sung-kwon told reporters.

According to him, North Korea has sent about 13,000 troops and weapons to Russia since October last year. Pyongyang now plans to expand this presence by sending another 6,000 soldiers and engineers.

As part of the latest phase of troop transfers to Russia, approximately 1,000 North Korean combat engineers have already arrived. These figures indicate that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in the military sphere continues to deepen, despite international sanctions and criticism from the international community.

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled by armored train to Beijing to attend a parade marking the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. This is his first visit to the Chinese capital since 2019.

Kim is expected to join Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the celebrations, who are also gathering for talks on September 2.

As The Gaze informed earlier, Russia and China have taken a new step in strengthening their energy partnership by signing a memorandum on the construction of the large-scale Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.