North Korea Continues Preparations for Troop Deployment to Russia

South Korea's Defense Ministry has stated that North Korea is continuing preparations for an additional troop deployment to Russia.

However, officials have detected no signs that such a deployment is imminent. This comes as North Korea launched more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the peninsula, hours after Chinese diplomat Wang Yi concluded a two-day visit to Seoul. South Korea and Japan condemned the missile launches as provocations. Beijing declined to criticize the barrage, with China's foreign ministry stating it had noted the reports and had no new comment.

Analysts suggest China is prioritizing Pyongyang's stability over near-term denuclearization. During his Seoul meetings, Wang urged South Korea to pursue genuine strategic autonomy and avoid taking sides between China and the United States, while calling on Washington to abandon its hostile policy toward Pyongyang. Beijing has systematically omitted denuclearization from its official readouts, a pattern also seen during President Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang in June.