South Korea’s military reported on Friday that it suspects North Korea is gearing up to send additional troops to Russia to assist in the conflict against Ukrainian forces, despite having already faced casualties and the capture of some soldiers.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated, “With four months elapsed since the troop deployment for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and following numerous casualties and captures, North Korea is believed to be expediting preparations for a further troop dispatch.”

The JCS did not elaborate on what specific follow-up actions Pyongyang might undertake. Additionally, North Korea is reportedly preparing to launch a spy satellite and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), although the JCS noted there are currently no indications of imminent activity.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that two North Korean soldiers had been captured in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the first instance of Ukraine taking North Korean soldiers alive since their involvement in the war began last autumn.

According to assessments from Ukraine and Western sources, North Korea has deployed approximately 11,000 soldiers to support Russian forces in the Kursk region, which Ukraine had seized in a surprise attack last year. Reports indicate that over 3,000 of these soldiers have been killed or injured, as per Kyiv’s figures.

While both Moscow and Pyongyang initially downplayed the reports regarding North Korea’s troop deployment, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in October that North Korean soldiers were present in Russia, and a North Korean official stated that any such deployment would be considered lawful.