WAR IN UKRAINE| Q&A
North Korea deployed troops, weapons and now, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official, a missile unit to support Russia's war against Ukraine, marking Pyongyang's most significant involvement in a war since the 1950s.
Here is what is known about the growing military ties:
What do reports say?
A North Korean missile unit started to deploy to western Russia and could be equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for attacks on Ukraine, an official at Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said.
The unit comprises about 90 North Korean personnel and is expected to be based in Russia's Voronezh region, the official said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in July that Russia wanted to bring in another 30,000 North Korean troops and was preparing facilities to receive them.
Reuters could not independently verify the claims.
How many troops?
In January 2025, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations said more than 12,000 North Korean soldiers were in Russia.
Later Ukrainian and South Korean estimates put the number of troops in Russia's Kursk region at about 14,000 to 15,000.
The Ukrainian official recently said about 9,500 North Korean troops remained in Kursk but were not directly involved in operations against Ukraine.
In April 2025, Russia and North Korea confirmed that North Korean troops fought Ukrainian forces in Kursk.
Russia's top military commander praised their role after Moscow said it retook Kursk territory, while Pyongyang said the deployment was ordered by leader Kim Jong Un.
Are there other efforts?
In June 2025, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said North Korea would send 1,000 sappers and 5,000 military construction workers to Kursk to clear mines and help rebuild infrastructure damaged in the fighting.
That same month, South Korean lawmakers, citing a briefing by the National Intelligence Service, said North Korea appeared to be recruiting personnel for an additional deployment to Russia, while continuing to supply Russia with artillery ammunition and missiles in exchange for economic cooperation and technical assistance.
It's unclear how many engineers, deminers or additional troops arrived in Russia, or whether they were used in combat roles.
What arms were sent?
North Korea supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.
A Reuters analysis with the U.K.-based Open Source Center found four Russian-flagged cargo ships made 64 voyages to North Korea's Rajin port between September 2023 and March 2025, transporting almost 16,000 containers of ammunition to Russian ports.
Ukrainian officials said North Korea supplied about half of the munitions Russia needed on the front lines.
Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said North Korea delivered 4 million artillery shells from mid-2023, excluding mortar rounds, and supplied 148 ballistic missiles by the start of 2025.
Why help Moscow?
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in June 2024. The pact includes a mutual assistance provision if either country faces external aggression.
North Korea cast its deployment as assistance to a treaty partner. In May 2025, Kim said participation in the war was justified as an exercise of North Korea's sovereign rights in defense of a "brother nation."
Analysts say Pyongyang stands to gain hard currency, oil and other economic support, as well as access to Russian military technology and battlefield experience for its forces and weapons.
North Korean soldiers gained combat exposure to drones, electronic warfare, artillery coordination and modern battlefield tactics, while its missile and ammunition makers were able to assess their equipment in wartime conditions.
What do others think?
The United States and its allies said the deployments and arms transfers violate U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea.
The U.N. has subjected Pyongyang to sanctions since 2006 over North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, prohibiting countries from hosting North Korean trainers, advisers or other officials for military, paramilitary or police training.
The U.S. imposed additional sanctions in December 2024 on North Korean and Russian entities connected to Pyongyang's military and financial support for Moscow. South Korea also blacklisted individuals and entities linked to illicit military cooperation between the two countries.
NATO said Russia's growing ties with North Korea, China and Iran pose a threat beyond Europe, extending to the IndoPacific and North America.
