Overview

• North Korea has deployed approximately 15,000 troops to Russia under a 2024 mutual defense treaty, marking its first official acknowledgment of involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
• South Korea's National Intelligence Service estimates 4,700 casualties among North Korean forces, including 600 deaths, with 2,000 wounded soldiers repatriated and deceased troops cremated locally in Kursk.
• North Korean forces have shown improved combat proficiency after six months, particularly in operating modern weapons like drones, despite initial inexperience.
• In exchange for its support, North Korea has received military and technological assistance from Russia, including spy satellite technology, drones, and surface-to-air missiles.
• Fighting in the Kursk region has decreased following Russia's recapture of key territories, and no additional North Korean troop deployments have been detected, though future deployments remain possible.