North Korea sends up to 30,000 soldiers to support Russia
North Korea sends up to 30,000 soldiers to support Russia
Kiev, CNN-North Korea plans to triple the number of his troops that fight for Russia on the front line in the Ukraine conflict. According to a secret service assessment by Ukrainian officials, an additional 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers are to be sent to Russia to support Moscow.
Arrival of new troops in Russia
The new troops could arrive in Russia in the coming months, as the assessment viewed by CNN states. This would be added to the 11,000 soldiers already sent in November who helped stop the push of Ukraine to the Kursk region. Around 4,000 of these North Korean soldiers are said to have been killed or injured in this assignment, but the cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has grown further.
equipment and integration into Russian armed forces
According to the report, the Russian Ministry of Defense is able to provide the “required equipment, weapons and ammunition” to ensure “further integration into Russian combat units”. It is pointed out that there is "a great opportunity" that the North Korean troops are involved in the fight in the areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia, especially during large -scale offensive.logistical preparations and signs of missions
The assessment also confirms that there are signs that Russian military aircraft are converted to transport staff. This reflects the enormous challenge of moving tens of thousands of foreign soldiers through Siberia, which lies in the southwestern part of the border with North Korea.
secret preparations and satellite images
Preparations for the new assignment, including the arrival of a ship that is connected to the last missions, and freight aircraft at Sunan Airport in North Korea, were documented using satellite images that are available.
First missions and confirmation by Russia
North Korea initially sent 11,000 soldiers in secret to Russia at the end of 2024, which was not confirmed until the end of April 2025 by President Vladimir Putin. In October, North Korean soldiers were photographed how they received equipment for the front reception at the Sergeevka military base in Primorskyi Krai.
additional missions and training measures
A month later, a Ropucha-Class ship Dockend in the port of Dunai near Nakhodka. Analysts estimated that this ship can transport up to 400 soldiers. On May 18, the same ship docked again in the Dunai port.
Flight samples indicate that there may also be further troop movements. Satellite images from Sunan Airport in North Korea show freight aircraft, which may be IL76S, on the runway - the same aircraft model that was used in the operations of last year. These movements could indicate a recurring pattern, as analysts have already observed in the previous year.
expectations of troop strength
Jenny Town, Senior Fellow and director of the Korean program at the Stimson Center, expressed that an assessment of up to 30,000 troops was "high ... but possible". She added that the North Korean soldiers were probably not elite units and that Kim Jong and was fully committed. Town estimated a more realistic number of 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers and pointed out that North Korea may send the troops in several phases.
reactions of the Ukrainian government
On Thursday, the Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Kiev was suspected that other North Korean troops could be dispatched. However, he also warned that Kim Jong and take the risk of endangering his own government by exposing so many elite units to the high loss rates on the front.
massive troop collections and strategic preparations
On Friday, the Military Head of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, expressed that Russia gathered 110,000 troops near the competitive city of Pokrovsk, which indicates a possible offensive to this strategically important center.
intensive cooperation with North Korea
Sergei Shoigu, a high consultant Putin, who was previously defense minister, visited Pyongyang on June 17. During his visit, Shoigu announced that 1,000 North Korean pioneers and 5,000 military workers would be sent to Russia to clear mines and to restore the "Infrastructure destroyed by the occupiers" in the Kursk region.
growing military relationship between North Korea and Russia
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) South Korea reports that North Korea started selecting personnel for missions abroad that could take place in July or August at the earliest. According to reports, Russia has again announced 6,000 North Korean mines and military workers. It remains unclear whether the NIS, like the Ukrainian secret services, considers a number of up to 30,000 troops to be realistic.
summary of developments and outlook
The reports in Russian media also indicate intensified cooperation. A video of a Russian television presenter shows the comprehensive preparations and long -term accommodations by a North Korean group. The granted presence of North Korean troops on the front line and the attacks recorded by Ukraine with North Korean ballistic rockets mark a new section in conflict.
The data from the Ukrainian intelligence department not only confirm the sending of troops, but also the growing interoperability between the armed forces Moscow and Pyongyangs. The development of this military relationships shows that North Korea further intensifies its support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict.