More than 100 elite North Korean troops were killed in their first battles in Russia, according to South Korean intelligence.
According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, approximately 1,000 more people were wounded in the fighting.
The troops are unprepared for drone attacks and the local terrain, the agency added.
South Korean intelligence reported that more than 100 of North Korea’s best “Storm” troops were killed and 1,000 more were injured while fighting alongside Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers on Thursday that the troops’ losses occurred during their first battles for Russia, according to The New York Times.
A South Korean lawmaker, Lee Seong-kweun, told reporters that a general-ranking officer could be among the dead, according to the report.
North Korean troops arrived in Russia in October. The following month, Ukraine announced that it had attacked North Korean forces for the first time.
Since then, North Korean troop losses have increased. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in Russia’s Kursk region, according to preliminary estimates.
North Korean troops are primarily fighting in that region, where Ukraine launched its offensive in August.
According to the Times, North Korea’s Storm Corps are among the best-trained and most indoctrinated members of Pyongyang’s military.
Despite their elite status, the South Korean National Intelligence Service stated that they were still unprepared for the fight in Ukraine.
The agency informed lawmakers that they were unprepared for drone attacks and the local terrain.
This is not the first time reports have suggested North Korea’s forces are unprepared for war.
According to the BBC, Storm troops receive more advanced training than other soldiers, but they remain underfed, with some appearing malnourished.
Ukrainian officials and soldiers have also claimed that North Korean troops were killed by drones that they had no idea were dangerous.
Ukrainian intelligence previously reported that North Korean troops accidentally killed eight Russian soldiers in Kursk, citing a “friendly fire” incident caused by a language barrier.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that North Korean troops were deployed to Russia so quickly that Moscow was unable to properly integrate them into the military. Before going into battle, they only knew a few military phrases in Russian, such as “open fire,” “artillery,” and “in position.”
However, warfare experts warn that the troops’ potential impact should not be underestimated, particularly given Russia’s tactics of using poorly trained soldiers to overwhelm Ukraine.
Ukraine is reportedly attempting to persuade North Korean troops to surrender by making videos and dropping leaflets on them. It has also warned that Russia will treat North Korean troops as disposable cannon fodder, as it does with many of its own troops.
However, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service stated that North Korea appeared to be preparing to deploy more troops in Russia, according to the Times.
Zelenskyy also predicted that North Korean soldiers would be deployed to the front lines of Ukraine at some point.