North Korean forces could see a significant increase in support for Moscow, as up to 50,000 new troops are expected to arrive in Russia. This new wave also includes hundreds of drone specialists, who could be used against targets in Ukraine.
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Major General Vadym Skibitskiy, deputy head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said that around 8,500 North Korean personnel are already on Russian territory. Part of this contingent also includes nearly 1,000 engineers and demining experts, accompanied by about 400 drone operators.
According to the official, these operators have gained experience from past missions, and the unmanned aerial vehicles can be used both for intelligence gathering and for direct strikes against targets inside Ukrainian territory.
Skibitskiy emphasizes that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may request up to 50,000 additional soldiers from his counterpart Kim Jong Un during talks scheduled for September.
It is not expected that North Korean forces will be involved in direct combat on Ukrainian soil. According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, they will be deployed to reinforce Russian rear lines, thus freeing up Kremlin soldiers for offensive operations on the Ukrainian front.
These claims have been dismissed by Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korea’s leader. She described the reports of sending tens of thousands of new troops as an ‘unfounded and fabricated scenario’.
Ukrainian intelligence data indicates that so far, about 25,000 North Korean troops have been deployed or rotated in Russia.
The initial deployment began in the Kursk region in October 2024, with the aim of repelling the incursion of Ukrainian forces. Only in April 2025 did North Korea officially acknowledge the involvement of its troops in battles alongside the Russian army.
According to Ukrainian estimates, around 10,000 North Korean soldiers were part of the first phase of operations, where they also suffered heavy losses. Beyond troops and drones, it is suspected that Pyongyang has also supplied Moscow with KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles.
Skibitskiy states that before August of last year, North Korea had supplied at least 150 missiles, while another 120 were awaiting delivery. He specifies that about 40 of them have already reached their destination.
The deputy head also added that approximately 90 North Korean specialists have been transferred to the Voronezh area to assist with the launch of these missiles.
In exchange for the troops and ammunition provided, Pyongyang expects from Moscow the sophisticated S-400 air defense system. Ukrainian intelligence sources confirm that Kim Jong Un’s regime has previously secured a Pantsir-1 missile system.
These latest moves testify to a deepening of military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, at a time when Kyiv is facing severe shortages in air defense weaponry and interceptor missiles.
