South Korea’s military says it suspects North Korea is preparing to send additional troops to Russia after its soldiers already deployed on the Russian-Ukraine war fronts suffered heavy casualties.

SEOUL - South Korea's military said on Jan 24 that it suspects North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia to fight Ukrainian forces, even after suffering losses and seeing some of its soldiers captured.

North Korea troops have been helping Russian forces as they seek to push Ukrainian soldiers out of Russia’s Kursk region.

North Korea is set to provide Russia with at least 150 KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles, along with artillery shells and related systems, in 2025. Source: The War Zone, citing Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) Quote: "Artillery is used to support both North Korean and Russian operations,

It will mostly be missile and artillery troops who typically operate hundreds of tubed and rocket artillery systems as well as the KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles Pyongyang has already provided Moscow,

Ukrainian forces described a different kind of enemy, fighting with unfamiliar tactics and little option to retreat.

North Korea is “significantly benefiting” from its troops gaining battlefield experience fighting alongside Russian forces as it makes them more capable of waging war against rivals South Korea and Japan, a US official warned the UN.

North Korean troops have suffered thousands of casualties in Russia’s Kursk region, according to Ukrainian estimates

Budanov said North Korea has sent 120 self-propelled howitzers and 120 MLRS to Russia, and is likely to send the same number again.

North Korea is presumed to be accelerating preparations for the additional deployment of its troops to Russia while continuing to push for potential launches of a spy satellite or an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM),