After Russia claimed to have retaken the Kursk region from Ukraine, North Korea acknowledged for the first time that it had sent soldiers to fight in Moscow’s war.

A South Korean lawmaker revealed that around 600 North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine have died, with thousands injured. This follows North Korea's confirmation of troop deployment to aid Russia,

The assessment came two days after North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia recapture parts of the Kursk region.