600 North Korean Troops Killed While Fighting Ukraine, South Korea Says

Roughly 600 North Korean troops person been killed fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, South Korean lawmakers said connected Wednesday, citing nan country's intelligence agency.

North Korea has suffered astir 4,700 casualties successful nan conflict, which includes deaths and injuries. But immoderate of nan country's troops person shown signs of betterment successful combat capabilities complete astir six months by utilizing modern weapons specified arsenic drones, nan lawmakers said.

"After six months of information successful nan war, nan North Korean subject has go little inept, and its combat capacity has importantly improved arsenic it becomes accustomed to utilizing caller weapons specified arsenic drones," Lee Seong-kweun, a personnel of nan parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters, aft being briefed by South Korea's National Intelligence Service.

A full of astir 15,000 North Korean troops person been deployed to conflict Ukraine.

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Roughly 600 North Korean troops person been killed fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, South Korean lawmakers said. (Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Kremlin via REUTERS)

Under a defense pact that was signed past year, Pyongyang agreed to deploy troops and proviso weapons to Russia successful speech for method assistance connected spy satellites, arsenic good arsenic drones and anti-air missiles, nan lawmakers said.

Earlier this week, North Korea confirmed for nan first clip that it had sent troops to conflict Ukrainian forces. It claims it has helped Russia retake its Kursk territory that was controlled by Ukraine.

North Korea's Central Military Commission said connected Monday that nan country's leader, Kim Jong Un, had sent troops to Russia to "annihilate and swipe retired nan Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate nan Kursk area successful practice pinch nan Russian equipped forces." North Korean troops yet made "an important contribution" to Russia seizing nan separator territory, nan committee said.

North Korea confirmed for nan first clip this week that it had sent troops to conflict Ukrainian forces. (Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for sending troops and promised not to hide their sacrifices.

"The Russian group will ne'er hide nan heroism of nan DPRK typical forces," Putin said connected Monday. "We will ever grant nan heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our communal freedom, fighting broadside by broadside pinch their Russian brothers successful arms."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia could supply subject assistance to North Korea if basal successful accordance pinch nan defense treaty.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for sending troops and promised not to hide their sacrifices. (Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via Reuters/File Photo)

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The 2 U.S. adversaries person moved importantly person to each different successful caller years.

Lee said nan remains of dormant North Korean soldiers were cremated successful Kursk earlier being shipped backmost home.

North Korea is besides believed to person sent astir 15,000 workers to Russia, according to nan lawmakers, citing intelligence assessments.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he doubts Putin wants to extremity nan war. Just a time before, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were "very adjacent to a deal."

Reuters contributed to this report.