The suggestion to deploy North Korean troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine came from Pyongyang, not Moscow, U.S. intelligence sources told the New York Times, it reported on Dec. 23. While some Western officials initially viewed the arrival of North Korean soldiers in Russia as evidence of the Kremlin’s desperation,

North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops and weapons, including kamikaze drones, to aid Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine. After Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to fight in Russia,

"Through various sources of information and intelligence, we assess that North Korean troops who have recently engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces have suffered around 1,100 casualties," the JCS said in a statement.