In recent days, North Korean soldiears have begun engaging in assault operations alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) believe that Pyongyang is now planning to send additional military support, the Yonhap news agency reported. "A comprehensive assessment of multiple intelligence shows that North Korea is preparing to rotate or increase the deployment of troops (in Russia), while currently supplying 240 millimeter rocket launchers and 170 millimeter self-propelled artillery," the JCS said. "There are also some signs of (the North) moving to manufacture and supply suicide drones, first unveiled during Kim Jong Un's on-site inspection in November."By deepening military cooperation with Moscow, Pyongyang hopes to gain practical battlefield experience and the ability to modernize its weapons systems, the JCS said.