South Korean spy agency confirms North Korea’s additional exports of howitzers, rocket launchers to Russia: Lawmakers

South Korea’s spy agency on Wednesday confirmed North Korea’s additional exports of howitzers and multiple rocket launchers to Russia, according to lawmakers.

In a briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) also reported that North Korean troops deployed to Russia in the Ukrainian war are known to have partially participated in combat alongside Russia’s Airborne Brigade and Marine units, the ranking committee members of the ruling and main opposition parties said, Yonhap news agency reported.

Specifically, the NIS reported that approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers completed acclimation training in Russia’s northeastern regions and were relocated to Kursk in late October.

The soldiers assigned to the Kursk front are undergoing tactical and counter-drone training. Some have already participated in combat operations, according to the NIS.

The agency further noted that, with North Korean troops now actively involved in front-line combat, casualties are likely to emerge. Efforts are under way to assess specific operations and the extent of losses suffered by North Korean forces.

The NIS also reported that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui engaged in sensitive discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and added the North’s leader Kim Jong-un could make a visit to Russia.

Choe visited Russia earlier this month, during which she met her counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and Putin. Her visit came at a time when tensions have heightened with the North’s deployment of thousands of troops to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.