SEOUL, March 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - North Korea sent an additional 3,000 troops to Russia this year, and are continuing to supply missiles, artillery and ammunition to help Moscow fight Kyiv, Seoul's military said Thursday.

Traditional allies Russia and North Korea have drawn closer since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Seoul accusing Kim of sending thousands of troops and containers of weapons to help Moscow.

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially confirmed the troop deployment, but the two countries signed a sweeping military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, when Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to North Korea.

"It is estimated that an additional 3,000 troops were sent between January and February as reinforcements," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that of the initial 11,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia, 4,000 are believed to have been killed or wounded.

"In addition to manpower, North Korea continues to supply missiles, artillery equipment, and ammunition," the report by the JCS said.

"So far, it is assessed that North Korea has provided a significant quantity of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), as well as about 220 units of 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket launchers," it said.

It warned that "these numbers could increase depending on the situation on the battlefield".

Last year, North Korea launched a flurry of ballistic missiles in violation of UN sanctions.

Experts have warned that the nuclear-armed North may be testing weapons for export to Russia for use against Ukraine.

- Attack drones -

On Thursday, North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of new suicide and reconnaissance drones featuring AI technology.

The new strategic reconnaissance drone is capable of "tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troops' activities on the ground and the sea", the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The suicide drones also demonstrated the striking capability "to be used for various tactical attack missions," according to KCNA.

Kim evaluated the improved performance of "the strategic reconnaissance drone... and the suicide attack drones with the introduction of new artificial intelligence."

He also agreed to a plan "for expanding the production capacity," KCNA said.

Pyongyang unveiled its attack drones in August last year, with experts saying the new capability in this area could be attributable to the country's budding alliance with Russia.

Experts have warned that North Korean troops sent to fight for Russia will be gaining modern warfare experience, including how drones are now used on the battlefield.

The Joint Chiefs report comes four months after Kim ordered the "mass production" of attack drones which are designed to carry explosives and be deliberately crashed into enemy targets, effectively acting as guided missiles.

In 2022, Pyongyang sent drones across the border that Seoul's military was unable to shoot down, saying they were too small.