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The security expert also estimates that, out of 6,000 North Korean causalities, some 2,000 may have been killed . "Some 1,000 to 2,000 combat troops and engineers are believed to have returned home, where veterans and families of the dead have reportedly received housing and other preferential treatment ," Han said. "North Korean troops suffered heavy initial losses but became more effective as they adapted to the battlefield," Han said. "Their aggressive fighting style may explain why Putin and other Russian officials have praised their bravery." Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies and a former North Korean soldier, believes that "a deployment of 50,000 is militarily feasible" and that Pyongyang would send "elite special operations troops." "North Korea's special operations forces are particularly skilled in reconnaissance, surprise attacks and ambushes, and have demonstrated their combat capabilities on the Kursk front, making them attractive to the Russian military," said Ahn, who defected in 1979. "If 30,000 troops are deployed, however, the contingent would likely include not only special operations forces but also infantry, engineers, construction workers and female medical personnel," he added.
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