North Korea is set to deploy an additional 25,000 to 30,000 troops to fight alongside Russia in the Ukraine war, potentially tripling the number of North Korean soldiers on the frontlines. According to a secret Ukrainian intelligence report cited by CNN, this move strengthens the growing military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
In November 2024, approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia, primarily to assist in repelling attacks near the Russian border in Ukraine’s Kursk region. Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources report that around 4,000 of these troops were killed or wounded. Despite these losses, the Moscow-Pyongyang relationship has only deepened.
CNN reports that Russia’s Defense Ministry is preparing to integrate these North Korean troops into Russian units, supplying them with weapons, ammunition, and military equipment. There are concerns that they may be deployed in large-scale offensives in Ukrainian-occupied territories.
Satellite imagery and open-source intelligence analyzed by CNN indicate increased activity, with Russian ships and cargo planes, including IL-76 aircraft, observed at North Korea’s Sunan airport and Russia’s Dunai port. A Ropucha-class ship, capable of carrying 400 troops, was spotted at Dunai port in May, similar to vessels used for troop transport last year.
On June 17, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s directive, his advisor and former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang. There, he announced that North Korea would send 1,000 mine-clearing personnel and 5,000 military construction workers to assist in rebuilding infrastructure in Russia’s Kursk region.
South Korea’s intelligence agency confirmed that North Korea has begun selecting troops, with deployments expected in July or August. Pyongyang has been supporting Russia since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, reportedly supplying Moscow with at least 100 ballistic missiles and 9 million rounds of ammunition in 2024, according to a joint report by 11 UN member states. Ukrainian intelligence also recovered a North Korean artillery training manual translated into Russian.
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