Reports of North Korean troops joining Russia’s war in Ukraine began to surface in October 2024. Among the youth, enthusiasm for military service has reached unprecedented heights,” Kim reportedly said on Monday. AdvertisementHe also thanked Putin for “highly valuing the role” played by North Korean troops. Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimated North Korean casualties in Russia to be in the thousands. Russia and North Korea signed a military pact last year that includes a mutual defense clause during a rare visit by Putin to North Korea.