More than 1,000 North Korean military casualties in Ukraine war, says South Korea

Claims underline risks posed to North’s untested armed forces amid reports regime could send reinforcements

• Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates

More than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded since they were sent to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, according to South Korean military officials.

In a statement released on Monday, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said: “We assess that North Korean troops, who have recently engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces, have suffered around 1,100 casualties.”