SEOUL -- A former sergeant in the North Korean military says that few of Pyongyang's soldiers have been captured fighting against Ukraine because they're told their families will be executed if they are caught alive.

North Korea recently sent some 3,500 additional soldiers to Russia's Far East for field training, a South Korean lawmaker said Wednesday, with the possibility of soon being dispatched to the front lines.

Ukrainian troops holding positions in Kursk say the North Koreans have reappeared on the battlefield and become even more formidable foes.

The reports of a new deployment come after Pyongyang was said to be suffering heavy losses in the Kursk region.

According to information from the South Korean intelligence agency (NIS), Pyongyang soldiers sent to fight against Ukraine are learning tactics and drone operations. The Yonhap agency reported that this may indicate planned cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in unmanned aerial vehicle technology.

South Korea’s spy agency says North Korea appears to have sent additional troops to Russia, after its soldiers deployed on the Russian-Ukraine fronts suffered heavy casualties.

The fresh deployment comes after North Korea suffered heavy casualties on the front lines in Russia’s war against Ukraine, the South’s spy agency says.

North Korea is no exception. Reports indicate that Kim Jong-un's soldiers, sent to fight alongside Russia, are learning how to use drones and improve battlefield tactics. This could have serious consequences for the region.

North Korea has deployed a second batch of 1,500 troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the soldiers already stationed near the front lines in Russia’s Kursk region, a South Korean lawmaker said on March 5.