Russia turns again to N. Korea for reinforcements in Ukraine as war casualties mount

By AFP and Global Watch | 2025-07-10

Russia, facing a grinding war and a deepening troop shortage, reportedly is preparing to receive as many as 30,000 additional North Korean soldiers to reinforce its fight against Ukraine -- marking a significant escalation in Pyongyang's military support.

The new deployment, expected in the coming months, would triple the number of North Koreans already sent to Russia, CNN reported in July, citing a Ukrainian intelligence assessment.

Pyongyang had already dispatched 11,000 soldiers in November, many of whom were involved in helping Russia repel Ukrainian incursions into Kursk province. About 4,000 of those troops were killed or injured, Western officials estimate.

Despite the heavy losses, North Korea's military partnership with Moscow has deepened, with recent visits and new deals indicating long-term coordination.

A Western intelligence official confirmed the latest troop estimates, noting that his or her agency's own data point to up to 30,000 additional North Korean troops preparing for deployment, CNN reported.

More than 950,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded fighting in the war against Ukraine, according to a June 3 assessment by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

A critical lifeline

During a recent visit to Pyongyang, Russian Security Council chief Sergei Shoigu announced that a new wave of military engineers and mine clearance teams would be dispatched to rebuild war-torn Kursk, including 5,000 troops and 1,000 support personnel.

"North Korea is continuing to send troops and supply weapons to Russia, and we see its support has played a significant role in Moscow's efforts to retake Kursk," South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun said in June, citing Seoul's National Intelligence Service.

The intelligence suggests Pyongyang has already begun selecting personnel, and deployments could begin as early as July or August. The surge reflects Moscow's growing desperation for manpower and highlights North Korea's emergence as a critical lifeline in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces caught Russia by surprise when they entered Kursk province last August. They held large parts of the province for seven months. In May they attacked the province again.

Evidence for the deployment of additional North Korean soldiers is that, during previous deployments, Shoigu visited Pyongyang roughly a month in advance, said Lee, along with "recent reports that North Korea has begun selecting personnel for dispatch, as indicators that preparations are already under way."

Mutual defense clause

North Korea has become one of Russia's main allies during its more than three-year-long Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops and container loads of weapons to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Kursk.

Pyongyang is believed to have provided Russia with several million artillery shells, along with missiles and long-range rocket systems delivered by ship and military aircraft since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Lee said, according to an AFP story in June.

Russia and North Korea signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defense clause, during a rare visit by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the nuclear-armed North.

Pyongyang in April confirmed for the first time that it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine -- and admitted that its troops had been killed in combat.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed plans for further cooperation, said Pyongyang state media, which did not provide detail.

According to the CNN report, the Ukrainian assessment says the Russian Ministry of Defense is capable of providing "needed equipment, weapons and ammunition" with the aim of "further integration to Russian combat units."

It added that "there is a great possibility" the North Korean troops will take part in combat in parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine in a bid "to strengthen the Russian contingent, including during the large-scale offensive operations."