North Korea has decided to send at least 6,000 more of its military personnel to Russia, with the stated purpose of helping restore infrastructure in Kursk Oblast, according to Russian officials. Earlier reports indicated that more than half of an initial 11,000-strong North Korean contingent had been lost during combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the same area.

Deployment plans confirmed by Shoigu

Sergey Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, announced the move following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Interfax Russia reports that Shoigu specified the alleged composition of the incoming forces:

“Chairman of State Affairs of the D​PRK Kim Jong Un has decided to send one thousand sappers to Russia for demining operations, as well as five thousand military builders for restoring damaged infrastructure.”

Shoigu stated that the deployment followed negotiations aimed at deepening cooperation between the two countries and enhancing North Korea’s support in rebuilding Kursk Oblast.

Shoigu also revealed plans to honor Korean People’s Army (KPA) soldiers who, according to Russian authorities, participated in military actions to “liberate Russian territory.”

“Our leaders decided to immortalize the heroism of Korean People’s Army soldiers who took part in combat operations,” he said.

As part of this initiative, new memorials will be constructed in both Russia and North Korea.

Russia just gave North Korea the blueprint for Iran’s long-range killer drones, Ukraine’s spy chief says

More than half of Pyongyang forces in Kursk lost earlier

The British Defense Ministry stated earlier that over 6,000 troops from the Korean People’s Army were lost during offensive operations against Ukrainian forces in the area. The total KPA presence initially amounted to approximately 11,000 troops, making the losses exceed 50%.

Last June, Russia and North Korea signed a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Pyongyang.

Related:

• UK intel: North Korea sent 11,000 troops to help Russia in Kursk—over half never came back
• Half of North Korea’s first missile shipment to Russia exploded in mid-air — now they strike Ukrainian targets with deadly precision
• Russia just gave North Korea the blueprint for Iran’s long-range killer drones, Ukraine’s spy chief says
• Russia receives 140 mm and 60 mm mortars from North Korea
• Kim Jong Un promises full support for Russia’s Ukraine war, says North Korea
• North Korea’s troops, shells, missiles aided Russia in war against Ukraine, breaching UN sanctions, report confirms
• North Korea supplied Russia with 9 mn rounds of ammunition and 100 ballistic missiles since 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared “unconditional support” for Russia’s war against Ukraine during a meeting with top Russian official Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, according to North Korean state media on 5 June.

AP reports that Kim met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang on 4 June. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim told Shoigu that North Korea would “unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues including the Ukrainian issue.” The visit marks an intensification of cooperation between the two countries.

KCNA added that the two officials discussed how to solidify the strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia, reaching a consensus on the Ukraine issue and other unspecified international situations. No further details were provided by the North Korean outlet.

North Korea’s troops, shells, missiles aided Russia in war against Ukraine, breaching UN sanctions, report confirms

Troop deployment and military presence

In April 2025, North Korea and Russia officially confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia for the first time. The confirmation stated that North Korean and Russian soldiers were fighting side by side against what they described as a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. 

Though neither Russia nor North Korea has released troop counts, intelligence from the US, South Korea, and Ukraine has previously stated that North Korea sent between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia last fall. South Korean authorities recently added that another 3,000 troops were dispatched earlier this year.

North Korea supplied Russia with 9 mn rounds of ammunition and 100 ballistic missiles since 2023

Russia’s state-run Tass news agency, citing the Russian Security Council’s press service, reported that Shoigu and Kim also discussed the reconstruction of Kursk Oblast and agreed on steps to honor the contributions of North Korean soldiers involved in the fighting there.

Despite Russia’s April 2025 claim of full control over Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Saturday that Ukrainian forces still hold ground there.

A new report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), published on 29 May, confirms that North Korea (D​PRK) supplied at least 100 ballistic missiles, 9 million artillery shells and rockets, and over 11,000 troops to Russia, violating multiple UN Security Council’s resolutions and directly supporting Moscow’s war on Ukraine. 

The report titled “Unlawful Military Cooperation including Arms Transfers between North Korea and Russia” outlines extensive cooperation between North Korea (D​PRK) and Russia that breaches numerous UNSC resolutions. 

“Arms transfers between the D​PRK and Russia each constitute violations of the arms embargo [established under four UNSC resolutions]. Furthermore, Russia’s training of North Korean soldiers involving arms or related matériel is a violation” of four more resolutions, the report reads.

MSMT urges the international community to strengthen sanctions enforcement, share intelligence, and designate individuals and entities involved in D​PRK-related violations. The report includes calls for renewed efforts to monitor, expose, and prevent North Korea-related sanctions evasion, improved maritime inspections, financial monitoring, and collaborative international efforts to curb the Moscow-Pyongyang alliance.

Illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea

MSMT participating states report that over 20,000 containers of munitions have been sent from D​PRK to Russia since 2023, including at least 9 million rounds of artillery and rocket ammunition. Among these were 122 mm and 152 mm shells and 122 mm rockets. 

“Both the D​PRK and Russia are violating the UN arms embargo on the D​PRK through these transfers,” the report reads.

The shipments were delivered by sea and rail, then transported to ammunition depots in southwestern Russia, according to the report.

North Korean artillery supplies prevent Russian defeat in Ukraine, military experts warn

Missile strikes linked to North Korean weapons

According to MSMT data and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s Main Intelligence Directorate, North Korea has also transferred at least 100 ballistic missiles to Russia, used in strikes on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia. UN experts confirmed that a Hwasong-11 ballistic missile fired at Kharkiv in January 2024 originated in North Korea. Conflict Armament Research (CAR) also documented five missiles with North Korean origin in Ukrainian territory in 2024.

North Korea provides 50% of Russia’s ammunition, says Ukraine’s spymaster

Troop deployment and training

The MSMT states that over 11,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Russia in late 2024. These forces were trained by Russian units in artillery, UAV operations, and trench combat. North Korean troops participated in combat in Kursk Oblast, including in Plekhovo and Malaya Loknya. Losses were reported in early 2025 near Makhnovka. D​PRK confirmed the deployment in April 2025, citing the D​PRK-Russia Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

North Korean generals tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine identified at Moscow parade

Russian transfers of weapons and support to D​PRK

In exchange for military support, Russia transferred air defense systems, including at least one Pantsir-class vehicle, and advanced electronic warfare systems to D​PRK. MSMT states that Russia also provided missile telemetry data to help North Korea improve its missile accuracy.

Sanctions violations extend beyond arms transfers

MSMT reports confirm that North Korea received over a million barrels of refined petroleum products from Russia in 2024, breaching the annual UN-imposed cap. Additionally, Russia facilitated the employment of D​PRK workers in sectors including construction, forestry, and textiles. At least 481 North Koreans were reportedly sent to Russia between December 2024 and February 2025.

North Korean defector reveals privileges for soldiers who fought against Ukraine

MSMT identified numerous vessels and aircraft used in these operations, including Russia-flagged ships like ANGARA and MARIA and military aircraft like the IL-76 and AN-124. These were used to carry arms and missile-related cargo in violation of sanctions. Many ships operated without tracking systems or insurance, indicating deceptive practices.

Russia helped D​PRK circumvent financial restrictions by opening ruble accounts for North Korea at MRB Bank in South Ossetia. These accounts were used by sanctioned North Korean banks to conduct international transactions, according to the report.