Russia Has Confirmed One of the Great Unknowns of the War in Ukraine: North Korea Is There, and Not Just With Troops

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one doubt has lingered despite the apparent evidence. Neither videos, nor testimonies, nor even Ukraine’s capture of North Korean prisoners fully confirmed to the world that Pyongyang was fighting alongside Moscow. The doubt is over. Both nations have now confirmed the extent of their ties.

It’s official. After months of speculation, Russia and North Korea have publicly confirmed that North Korean troops fought on Russian soil alongside Moscow’s forces in the war against Ukraine. The announcement, made almost simultaneously by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, celebrated the role of thousands of North Korean soldiers who, according to the two leaders, contributed decisively to the “complete liberation” of the Russian border region of Kursk—territory briefly occupied by Ukrainian troops last summer.

According to circulating figures, North Korea has sent some 14,000 troops, mainly special forces, replacing the more than 4,000 who, according to South Korean estimates, have been killed or wounded since 2023. But there’s more. In addition to military personnel, Pyongyang has supplied millions of artillery shells and ballistic missiles that Moscow has used against Ukrainian cities.

Common goal. The joint recognition of this cooperation marks a military and diplomatic escalation as both nations aim to strengthen their international position vis-a-vis the U.S. For Russia, the involvement of foreign troops allows it to wrest a vital bargaining chip—partial control of Kursk—from Ukraine, just as President Donald Trump pushes for a quick resolution to the conflict.

For North Korea, shedding blood on Russian soil creates a kind of symbolic and political debt to Putin, expanding Kim’s room to maneuver in future negotiations with Washington, including talks over his stalled nuclear program.

Symbolism and propaganda. According to The New York Times, the North Korean leader ordered the erection of a monument in his country to honor soldiers who died in Russia. The gesture seeks to institutionalize this alliance as a brotherhood sealed by military sacrifice. For his part, Putin hailed the Korean fighters as heroes worthy of the same recognition as Russian troops—a statement intended to reinforce the Kremlin’s domestic narrative and consolidate international cooperation increasingly dependent on authoritarian regimes.

The alliance relies not only on tactical interests but also on specific benefits. In return for its support, North Korea—under harsh sanctions—would receive direct economic aid and advanced military technologies that could improve its weapons capabilities. According to experts, Pyongyang could send more troops or expand its presence in the conflict to deepen its strategic ties with Moscow.

More from Xataka On

After Years of Isolation, North Korea Reopens to Foreign Tourists. The Price Is Over $600

A secret arsenal. According to The Guardian, the use of a North Korean ballistic missile in a Russian attack that left 12 dead in Kyiv has underscored the depth of this cooperation. It was a KN-23 missile (Hwasong-11) with a warhead of up to one ton—part of a larger shipment of at least 148 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles sent by Pyongyang since late 2023, according to Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence.

This comes in addition to millions of artillery shells, multiple-launch rockets and long-range artillery systems that have reached the front lines via 64 carefully tracked sea and rail shipments. These account for up to 70% of the artillery weapons Russia uses on some fronts.

War as a testing ground. That’s another aspect of the alliance. The Guardian reported that beyond the quantity, North Korea’s contribution has strategic value that goes beyond replenishing obsolete reserves. Many of these weapons are modern, and their deployment in Ukraine offers Kim’s regime a real-world laboratory to test and refine its military technology.

Hwasong-11 series missiles, self-propelled mortars and multiple-launch rockets not only support the Russian offensive but also allow North Korea to evaluate the combat performance of its systems. As the war drags on, analysts at the Stimson Center and the Open Nuclear Network foresee an escalation in arms deliveries, including anti-tank missiles, jointly developed drones and anti-aircraft systems already under consideration for future use.

Barter geopolitics. Experts such as Hugh Griffiths, a former member of the United Nation sanctions monitoring panel, argue that Putin couldn’t sustain his current offensive without Kim’s support. In exchange for weapons and soldiers, Pyongyang would receive strategic components and know-how that could transform its offensive capabilities—both on and beyond the Korean Peninsula.

Redrawing the balance. This wartime cooperation between two of the world’s most isolated regimes represents a new chapter in the Ukrainian war—one that is becoming increasingly international. While Ukraine contests the narrative over control of Kursk and hopes to use it as a bargaining chip in peace talks, North Korea’s involvement turns this front into a symbol of the global realignment of alliances.

By taking part in a European war, Pyongyang is positioning itself as a more ambitious military actor and deepening its challenge to the Western-led international order. A Moscow-Pyongyang axis is consolidating behind the scenes and between the lines, with long-term implications for regional security in Asia, European stability and the already strained relations among the U.S., China, Russia and their respective allies.

Image | The Presidential Press and Information Office

Related | A Group of North Korean Hackers Pulled Off the Biggest Crypto Robbery in History. This Is How They Did It