SEOUL — North Korea continues to expand its military support for Russia in the war against Ukraine. In addition to sending troops and weaponry, Pyongyang is now said to have deployed a missile unit to western Russia.
Quoted from Reuters, an official from Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said that the unit consists of about 90 personnel and is stationed in the Voronezh region. The unit is expected to operate up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers to support Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, previously said that Russia plans to bring in an additional 30,000 North Korean soldiers, and is preparing facilities in Voronezh to accommodate them. Reuters stated it could not independently verify these claims.
By the end of 2024, Ukraine, the United States, and South Korea estimated that around 10,000 to 12,000 North Korean soldiers had been sent to Russia.
That number then increased. In January 2025, the US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) stated that more than 12,000 North Korean soldiers were in Russia. The latest estimates from Ukraine and South Korea put the number at around 14,000 to 15,000 personnel in the Kursk region.
According to GUR officials, about 9,500 North Korean soldiers were still in Kursk as of this month, although they have not been directly involved in combat operations against Ukraine.
Russia and North Korea in April 2025 confirmed that North Korean troops participated in fighting against Ukrainian forces in Kursk. Moscow praised their contribution after successfully recapturing the region, while Pyongyang stated the deployment of troops was carried out on direct orders from Kim Jong Un.
In addition to combat troops, Russia also received other personnel support. In June 2025, Russian Security Council Secretary, Sergei Shoigu, said North Korea would send 1,000 mine disposal personnel and 5,000 military construction workers to help restore infrastructure in Kursk.
In the same month, South Korean lawmakers cited a briefing from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) stating that North Korea had begun recruiting personnel for the next wave of deployment. Pyongyang is also said to continue supplying artillery ammunition and missiles to Russia in exchange for economic cooperation and technological assistance.
The number of additional personnel who have arrived in Russia and their involvement in combat operations is currently unknown.
In addition to military personnel, North Korea also supplied millions of artillery and mortar shells, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery, and multiple rocket launcher systems to Russia, according to assessments by Ukraine and a number of independent institutions.
An analysis by Reuters and the UK-based Open Source Centre found four Russian-flagged cargo ships made 64 voyages to Rajin Port, North Korea, between September 2023 and March 2025. These ships transported nearly 16,000 containers of ammunition to Russian ports.
Ukrainian officials say about half of Russia’s ammunition needs on the front lines come from North Korea. The GUR also said Pyongyang had sent about 4 million artillery shells since mid-2023, in addition to mortar ammunition, and 148 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles by early 2025.
Military cooperation between the two countries strengthened after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in June 2024. The agreement contains a clause for mutual assistance if one party faces external aggression.
Pyongyang stated that its involvement in the war was a fulfillment of its commitment to a partner country. Kim Jong Un in May 2025 called the deployment of troops an exercise of North Korea’s sovereign right to defend “friendly nations.”
A number of analysts believe North Korea gains various benefits from this cooperation, ranging from foreign exchange, oil supplies, to access to Russian military technology and modern combat experience.
North Korean troops are also said to gain experience in dealing with drones, electronic warfare, artillery coordination, and modern warfare tactics. On the other hand, North Korean missile and ammunition manufacturers can test the effectiveness of their weaponry in wartime conditions.
The United States and its allies believe that the shipment of troops and weaponry violates UN Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea.
Since 2006, North Korea has been under UN sanctions related to its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. These rules prohibit other countries from receiving North Korean trainers, advisors, or personnel for military, paramilitary, or police training purposes.
In December 2024, the United States also imposed additional sanctions on a number of individuals and entities in Russia and North Korea linked to Pyongyang’s military and financial support to Moscow. South Korea took similar steps by blacklisting a number of individuals and organizations.
NATO believes that the increasingly close military and economic ties between Russia and North Korea, China, and Iran not only impact European security but also have the potential to threaten the Indo-Pacific region and North America. (ARF)
This translation was generated by AI (Google Gemini) from Indonesian.