North Korea preparing additional troop deployment, drone supply to russia – South Korea

According to South Korea, North Korea appears to be preparing to deploy additional troops and military equipment to russia, including suicide drones, in support of the war against Ukraine.

The South Korean military command stated this on Monday, Yonhap News Agency reports.

"A comprehensive assessment of multiple intelligence shows that North Korea is preparing to rotate or increase the deployment of troops (in Russia), while currently supplying 240 millimeter rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

It also stated that there are some signs that the North is moving to the production and supply of suicide drones, first presented during Kim Jong-un's on-site inspection in November. The JCS explained the move as the North’s efforts to gain practical combat experience and modernize its conventional weapons system.

Last month, North Korean state media reported that Kim had overseen the testing of various types of suicide drones and called for full-scale production of the weapons, which are becoming increasingly important in modern warfare due to their cost-effectiveness.

The agency said there were no specific signs of provocations from North Korea, adding that the country was focusing on expanding military cooperation with russia and stable domestic management ahead of a key party plenary meeting at the end of the year.

At the same time, it is not ruled out that the DPRK could stage a surprise military provocation timed to coincide with an important political event, such as launching a medium-range ballistic missile with a hypersonic warhead.

The JCS predicts that North Korea will continue to carry out “gray zone” provocations next year, such as launching trash-carrying balloons and carrying out GPS jamming attacks.

“As the North has to concentrate on supporting Russia next year, it is likely to feel burdened by (the possibility of) causing military tension or conflicts that could lead to the creation of a new war front,” the JCS report said.

The agency added: “But the need for cooperation on information sharing with the U.S. as well as establishing a firm readiness posture are vital as there is also the possibility of the North attempting various provocations, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile launch or a nuclear test to enhance its bargaining power against the U.S.”

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that russia is training North Korean soldiers for direct participation in combat operations. It was assumed that Pyongyang's forces would engage in combat against the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Kursk axis.

After that, South Korean intelligence reported that, according to its data, at least 100 North Korean (DPRK) servicemen stationed in the aggressor country of russia were killed, and another 1,000 were wounded during intense fighting with the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kursk Oblast.