North Korea may send up to 50,000 troops to Russia
Pyongyang and Moscow are reportedly weighing a major troop expansion that could free Russian forces for Ukraine's front lines.
North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia’s Kursk region are shown in a photo released by the Korean Central Television on Aug. 31, 2025.
YONHAP
North Korea is reportedly considering increasing the number of troops deployed to Russia to around 50,000 by the end of November.
North Korea and Russia are considering expanding the North Korean troop deployment and stationing the forces in three western Russian regions bordering Ukraine, Japan's Kyodo News reported Thursday, citing data from Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine estimates that about 9,500 North Korean ground troops are currently deployed in Russia.
Deploying North Korean troops to Russia's western border regions could allow Russian forces currently assigned to those areas to be moved to the front in Ukraine. Ukraine believes Russia aims to use the move to seize the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine by the end of this year.
An official from the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine predicted that North Korea and Russia would give final approval to the plan at the leadership level, according to the report.
The report is also in line with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent claim that North Korea plans to send additional troops.
"Russia wants to receive another 30,000 troops from North Korea," Zelensky wrote on X on July 26. "Since June, preparations have been underway in Russia's Voronezh region to receive them."
In an interview with a Ukrainian broadcaster released Sunday, Zelensky also said the number of North Korean troops deployed had initially risen from hundreds to thousands and that a decision had now been made to station between 30,000 and 50,000 on Russian territory.
North Korea has reportedly sent missile-related personnel to Russia as well as ground troops. Ukraine claims that 90 personnel from a North Korean missile unit were recently dispatched to Russia's Voronezh region.
Weapons support is also reportedly continuing. North Korea recently provided Russia with an additional 40 ballistic missiles, some of which may have been used in Russian attacks on Ukraine on July 30 and Tuesday.
Ukraine estimates that North Korea has provided Russia with about 150 missiles since August last year.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [lee.taehee@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
