North Korea has sent about 5,000 construction troops to Russia since September to help with "infrastructure reconstruction", a South Korean lawmaker said on Tuesday (Nov 4) after a briefing by Seoul's spy agency.

Axar.az informs, citing CNa, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters that "around 5,000 North Korean construction troops have been moving to Russia in phases since September and are expected to be mobilised for infrastructure reconstruction".

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service added that an additional 1,000 combat engineers have been sent to conduct mine clearance operations in the region.

The spy agency told lawmakers that about 10,000 North Korean troops were estimated to be currently deployed near the Russia-Ukraine border, according to Lee.