North Korea has deployed a second batch of 1,500 troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the soldiers already stationed near the front lines in Russia’s Kursk region, a South Korean lawmaker said on March 5.

Yu Yong-weon, a member of the ruling People Power Party, cited Ukrainian intelligence sources in reporting that Pyongyang may send an additional 3,500 troops in a third deployment.

Yu, who visited Ukraine from Feb. 23 to 26, said in a press release that he met with Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), and senior commanders from Ukraine’s special operations forces. According to them, the newly deployed North Korean troops had completed acclimatization training and were now positioned near Kursk.

North Korea is reinforcing its ranks after suffering heavy losses from its initial deployment of 12,000 troops, Yu said. Reports indicate that about 4,000 of them have been killed or wounded.

“Some 3,500 North Korean troops are currently undergoing local training at five sites in Russia’s Far East, and a third deployment remains a possibility,” he said.

This image, taken from a video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office on Jan. 11, 2025, shows Ukrainian forces capturing two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in the Kursk border region of Russia./Ukrainian Presidential Press Office

According to Yu, Ukrainian forces estimate that five North Korean soldiers have the combat effectiveness of ten Russian troops. He also cited testimony from a captured North Korean soldier, identified only as Baek, who described the country’s intense military training.

“We train in many areas, but physical endurance is the most important,” Baek said. “Every week, we run 100 ri (39.3 km), and on the last day of the month, we run 200 ri (78.5 km). That’s four hours for 100 ri and eight hours for 200 ri, all while carrying a 20–25 kg backpack.”

South Korean intelligence agencies believe North Korean troops are using their deployment in Russia to adapt to modern warfare, particularly drone operations.

“The first batch of North Korean forces suffered heavy casualties because they were inexperienced in modern warfare,” a senior South Korean government official said. “After regrouping, they have shifted to small-unit tactics that are better suited to today’s battlefield.”

North Korean troops are reportedly learning drone attack and defense strategies from Russian forces, according to intelligence assessments.