South Korea's National Intelligence Service informed parliament that approximately 10 North Korean soldiers are deployed in close proximity to the Russian-Ukrainian border. A significant number of these troops are construction units assigned to repair damaged infrastructure.

"Since September, about 5000 North Korean construction troops have been gradually transferred to Russia and are expected to be mobilized to rebuild infrastructure," " said MP Lee Sun-kwun, citing intelligence data.

He added:

"Ongoing signs of training and selection of personnel in preparation for the deployment of additional troops have been detected."

The information confirms the escalation of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. Seoul previously estimated the total losses of North Korean forces in Ukraine at hundreds killed and thousands wounded.