By DAYO ADESULU
South Korea’s intelligence agency reports that 2,000 North Korean troops were killed in Russia while fighting alongside Moscow. Pyongyang is now preparing to send 6,000 more soldiers.
Massive North Korean Casualties in Russia Confirmed
On September 2, 2025, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency revealed a shocking update: about 2,000 North Korean troops killed in Russia. The information came from a closed-door briefing by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to lawmakers in Seoul.
Representatives Park Sun-won and Lee Seong-kweun told reporters that Pyongyang’s losses have been much higher than previously acknowledged. The NIS also believes that North Korea is planning a third wave of deployments, with 6,000 more soldiers expected to be sent to aid Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
The report further disclosed that 1,000 North Korean combat engineers have already arrived in Russia, joining existing forces that are currently being used in the rear front as reserve units.
Casualties Rising Rapidly
The updated death toll reflects a “comprehensive review” of intelligence conducted by Seoul in cooperation with other nations. According to NIS findings, the 2,000 troops killed represent both the first and second waves of deployments.
Pyongyang had earlier admitted to only 350 deaths. However, South Korean intelligence reports released in April 2025 painted a far more alarming picture. At that time, 4,700 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded, and 2,000 wounded soldiers were already repatriated back to North Korea.
Many of those killed, particularly in battles around Kursk, were reportedly cremated before their remains were returned home.
In January 2025, the NIS had estimated just 200 dead and 2,700 wounded. By April, casualties had doubled, showing the intensity of the war and the heavy toll on Pyongyang’s forces.
Moscow and Pyongyang Admit Deployment
Until April 2025, both Russia and North Korea avoided confirming that DPRK troops were fighting in Ukraine. That changed on April 28, 2025, when Russian President Vladimir Putin openly praised North Korea’s contribution.
“The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the DPRK special forces. We will always honor the heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our common freedom, fighting side by side with their Russian brothers in arms,” Putin declared.
On the same day, North Korea’s Central Military Commission confirmed that Kim Jong Un personally approved the deployment. KCNA, North Korea’s state news agency, quoted him as saying the troops were sent to “annihilate Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area.”
Kim went further, describing the soldiers as “heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland.”
A Historic First for North Korea
This deployment is especially significant because it marks North Korea’s first direct involvement in a foreign war since the Korean War in the 1950s.
For Pyongyang, the conflict has provided valuable battlefield experience that its troops had not seen in decades. However, it has also come at a steep price in human lives.
The alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang has visibly deepened, but Seoul and its allies worry that these experiences will make North Korean forces better prepared for future conflicts in East Asia.
Implications for Regional Security
The report that 6,000 more North Korean troops may soon be deployed to Russia raises pressing concerns. Not only does it suggest Pyongyang’s deepening military commitment, but it also signals that casualties will likely continue to mount.
At the same time, the deployment underscores Russia’s growing reliance on foreign allies as the war with Ukraine stretches into its fourth year.
For Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo, the concern is twofold:
- North Korea is gaining combat experience.
- Pyongyang’s military cooperation with Moscow could expand into weapons and technology transfers.
With 2,000 soldiers already killed and thousands more wounded, the North Korean sacrifice in Russia’s war highlights both the risks and the long-term consequences of Kim Jong Un’s strategy.
Conclusion
The news that 2,000 North Korean troops were killed in Russia underscores the immense cost of Pyongyang’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Yet, with more deployments planned, North Korea shows no sign of retreating from its alliance with Moscow.
As the casualties rise, the war is not only reshaping the battlefield in Ukraine but also altering the balance of power in Northeast Asia.
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