Deployment of North Korean Troops and Military Support to Russia
North Korea is expanding its direct involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), Pyongyang has agreed to send up to 5,000 military personnel to Russia following talks between North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin in Pyongyang. The units will reportedly consist mainly of engineering and construction troops tasked with demining operations and rebuilding infrastructure near front-line areas.
This development follows earlier deployments: approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers were already stationed in Russia, of whom 4,700 have been killed or wounded since 2024. Such heavy losses contradict Pyongyang’s claims of “non-combat” missions and confirm the active use of North Korean forces near combat zones.
Weapons Transfers and Strategic Cooperation
Since 2023, North Korea has become one of Russia’s main suppliers of ammunition and missiles. Intelligence reports indicate that Pyongyang has shipped around 12 million artillery shells—mostly of 152 mm caliber—and more than 20,000 containers of military supplies. Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) estimates that half of Russia’s artillery munitions now come from North Korea. Additionally, over 100 ballistic missiles of the KN-23 and KN-24 types have been delivered, with at least 60 launched at Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure since early 2025.
In exchange, Moscow is believed to be providing North Korea with advanced satellite and space technologies to enhance the accuracy of its intercontinental ballistic missiles. Western intelligence agencies also warn that Russia may be assisting Pyongyang’s nuclear submarine program, a move that would violate global non-proliferation norms and sharply increase regional and global security risks.
A New Axis of Military and Political Alliance
The 2024 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un laid the foundation for this cooperation, including mutual assistance clauses that blur the line between logistical aid and active military engagement. The recent presence in Pyongyang of top political officers from the Korean People’s Army underscores tight coordination between the two regimes in managing troop deployments and propaganda efforts.
The inclusion of North Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister in the talks signals an emerging joint diplomatic front aimed at legitimizing their partnership and undermining international sanctions. By coordinating political messaging and operational logistics, Moscow and Pyongyang are transforming their bilateral ties into a fully fledged military-political alliance — one that openly challenges the global sanctions regime and destabilizes the broader security order in East Asia and Europe.
