Seoul, Oct 23 (IANS): Around 3,000 North Korean soldiers were believed to have been sent to Russia so far to support its ongoing war with Ukraine, with a total of 10,000 expected to be deployed by December, South Korea's spy agency said on Wednesday.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) shared the information with lawmakers during a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to officials, Yonhap news agency reported.
The NIS earlier confirmed that the North was sending troops to Russia in line with its decision to dispatch around 10,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russia against Ukraine, and approximately 1,500 soldiers were transported in the first batch last week.
"After the first batch arrived in Russia from October 8-13, an additional 1,500 soldiers have been sent there," Rep. Park Sun-won of the main Opposition Democratic Party told reporters, citing a report by NIS Director Cho Tae-yong.
The troops are stationed at military facilities in Russia and are adjusting to their new circumstances, the lawmaker said. The total number of troops joining Russia is expected to reach 10,000, including the 3,000 already deployed.
"Russian instructors believe that North Korean soldiers are fit both physically and mentally, but they lack the understanding of modern warfare, such as drone attacks. They also expect multiple casualties among the North Koreans," Park said.
The NIS also reported signs that North has relocated the families of the dispatched troops to an unidentified place for isolation to manage the situation confidentially and effectively.
The two countries are believed to have discussed the troop dispatch after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact pledging mutual defence in June, the NIS noted.
As for Pyongyang's intention behind the move, the NIS believed that Pyongyang would aim to cement its military ties with Russia, seek Russian intervention in Korean Peninsula issues in emergencies, address economic hardships and modernise its armed forces.
"Russia is expected to offer compensation to North Korea in exchange for the dispatch," Rep. Lee Seong-Kweun of the ruling People Power Party said.