North Korea Poised to Send Tens of Thousands More Troops to Aid Russia in Ukraine, Intelligence Reports Reveal

 

North Korea is preparing to significantly expand its military support for Russia in the war against Ukraine by deploying up to 30,000 troops, according to Ukrainian and Western intelligence assessments seen by CNN. If confirmed, this would mark a dramatic increase from the 11,000 North Korean soldiers already sent last year, some of whom reportedly played a role in repelling Ukraine’s advance into Russia’s Kursk region.

 

 

According to Ukrainian officials, the incoming forces could arrive within months. “There is a great possibility the North Korean troops will be engaged in combat in parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine,” one intelligence document states, noting they could participate in large-scale offensives. The Russian military is reportedly prepared to equip and integrate these troops into their combat units.

 

Satellite imagery reviewed by CNN suggests preparations are already underway. Cargo planes, possibly IL-76s, have been observed at Sunan airport in North Korea, while troop-transporting ships have docked at Dunai port in Russia, consistent with past deployments. Joe Byrne, a senior analyst at the Open Source Centre, said, “This appears to indicate the routes previously used to move DPRK troops are active, and could be used in any large-scale future transfer of personnel.”

 

Jenny Town of the Stimson Center said the 30,000 figure sounded “high… but they can certainly come up with that number. They won’t be elite soldiers.” She added, “There have been rumors that Russian generals have been inside North Korea training troops there already.”

 

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov warned that such deployments expose serious issues within Russia’s own forces. “Russia’s use of elite North Korean troops demonstrates not only a growing reliance on totalitarian regimes but also serious problems with its mobilization reserve,” he said. “Together with our partners, we are monitoring these threats and will respond accordingly.”

 

The Kremlin has publicly acknowledged its military partnership with Pyongyang. Sergei Shoigu, formerly Russia’s defense minister and now a top Putin aide, visited North Korea twice in June, announcing that 1,000 North Korean sappers and 5,000 military construction workers would be sent to Russia to clear mines and repair infrastructure. South Korea’s intelligence agency has separately briefed lawmakers that Pyongyang is selecting additional personnel for overseas deployment as early as July or August.

 

Videos aired by Russian state media and verified by CNN show North Korean soldiers entrenched near Kursk, living in fortified bunkers adorned with Korean posters reading, “Revenge for our fallen comrades.” Russian trainers praise their physical preparedness, saying, “As fighters they are not worse than ours. The enemy runs away first.”

 

Joint training exercises have also increased. One video shows North Korean and Russian troops practicing urban combat together. Another depicts North Korean troops learning to use shotguns against drones—highlighting the growing interoperability between both militaries.

 

Kim Jong Un’s support for Russia appears to extend beyond manpower. Ukrainian intelligence has documented 82 ballistic missile strikes using North Korean-made KN-23 and KN-24 missiles, including one in Pokrovsk in January 2024 that killed 11 civilians. Translated North Korean artillery manuals and the widespread presence of North Korean weaponry further demonstrate the depth of cooperation.

 

The UN recently reported that North Korea had supplied Russia with at least 100 ballistic missiles and nine million artillery shells this year alone. Meanwhile, South Korea’s military reported an additional 3,000 North Korean troops were sent to Russia earlier this year.

 

Town believes Pyongyang views this as a long-term investment. “The more ‘blood debt’ there is between them,” she said, “the more North Korea will benefit in the long run, even if they are making sacrifices in the short term.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN  2025-07-04

 

 

wwII revisited. i guess no one remembers the idiom 'learn history as not to repeat its mistakes'

The 10.000 he sent before are where?

Stored in plastic bags already??

Didn't take long.

Trump will not stand for this and he will have a strong word with Rocket man. Just kidding. Crickets from the self proclaimed peacemaker with the widening of the war. He did had an hour of friendly chat with Putin and will delay weapons to Ukraine. Is this the new axis of evil?

Good for Russia and north Korea. 👍

It will give financial income for Korea and battlefield experience.

 

Russia is facing not just Ukraine but the whole of NATO , more or less

behind the scene.

 

But what when those soldiers come back to Korea when they saw and experienced

more freedom and the way of life in more western Russia & Ukraine ?

Could back fire on Kim. 

 

 

Unconfirmed or verified reports  Seen by the liar of liars 'CNN' and to make it more laughable, using a video from 'The Sun'

Jeezus, get a grip, 

You have to be pretty gullible to believe this crap still

2 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Unconfirmed or verified reports  Seen by the liar of liars 'CNN' and to make it more laughable, using a video from 'The Sun'

Jeezus, get a grip, 

You have to be pretty gullible to believe this crap still

You have to be pretty gullible to believe anything posted by frank83628

Seems like it's OK for Russia to have help, but not for Ukraine:

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/russia-demands-uk-stop-training-ukrainian-troops-as-putin-aide-issues-ultimatum/ar-AA1HHbY9

12 minutes ago, FlorC said:

But what when those soldiers come back to Korea when they saw and experienced

more freedom and the way of life in more western Russia & Ukraine ?

Could back fire on Kim.

they will return in body bags,  bits of them at least

7 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Unconfirmed or verified reports  Seen by the liar of liars 'CNN' and to make it more laughable, using a video from 'The Sun'

Jeezus, get a grip, 

You have to be pretty gullible to believe this crap still

Trustworthy media report it too , but with a link to cnn ....

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/north-korea-sending-30000-troops-bolster-russias-forces-reports

 

BUT they frame that story better , with skepticism.

 

But there's reason to be suspicious and skeptical of the report sourced to Ukrainian intelligence as well as Western intelligence officials, which are cited, given the crucial timing.

55 minutes ago, FlorC said:

Good for Russia and north Korea. 👍

It will give financial income for Korea and battlefield experience.

 

Russia is facing not just Ukraine but the whole of NATO , more or less

behind the scene.

 

But what when those soldiers come back to Korea when they saw and experienced

more freedom and the way of life in more western Russia & Ukraine ?

Could back fire on Kim. 

 

 

 

Returning soldiers will be imprisoned or killed. That's what Stalin did to Russians overly exposed to the West after World War II.

Gun fodder explained; and this is 21st century, the world knows about it and NOBODY is doing anything against it. 

I just wonder what they tell those North Korean boys and men prior to boarding the train; quite a few of them on a one-way ticket. &nbsp

Ah .... how stupid of me, the same must be the case in previous stints by the West in Iraq, Afghanistan etc. where EU bodybags returned stuffed from the battle fields of "democracy". 

Same happened to 58,220 Americans 50+ years ago in  Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos - to this day nobody could come up with a simple explanation, what the Americans were doing on the other side of the planet ..... and do not come with the story of "stopping communism" 😞 

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Trump will not stand for this and he will have a strong word with Rocket man. Just kidding. Crickets from the self proclaimed peacemaker with the widening of the war. He did had an hour of friendly chat with Putin and will delay weapons to Ukraine. Is this the new axis of evil?

Yep. In just a few days Trump has once again halted promised extremely important aid to Ukraine, and put new Russian sanctions on hold, so Russia can continue bombing civilians. Not only that, he has lifted some sanctions placed on banks in Russia.

 

This traitor of a president keeps delivering to his close friend Putin. What a freakshow we are witnessing. Not even George Bush jr. could have done a worse job.

31 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Gun fodder explained; and this is 21st century, the world knows about it and NOBODY is doing anything against it. 

I just wonder what they tell those North Korean boys and men prior to boarding the train; quite a few of them on a one-way ticket. &nbsp

Ah .... how stupid of me, the same must be the case in previous stints by the West in Iraq, Afghanistan etc. where EU bodybags returned stuffed from the battle fields of "democracy". 

Same happened to 58,220 Americans 50+ years ago in  Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos - to this day nobody could come up with a simple explanation, what the Americans were doing on the other side of the planet ..... and do not come with the story of "stopping communism" 😞 

The US trying to turn regions on the other side of the world into democracy, has been a complete disaster. It has cost so many lives in the process.

 

Now the US can't even keep democracy in its own country, so Trump and his administration have decided to join fascism instead.

 

What a mess, what a shiitshow we are witnessing.

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Trump will not stand for this and he will have a strong word with Rocket man. Just kidding. Crickets from the self proclaimed peacemaker with the widening of the war. He did had an hour of friendly chat with Putin and will delay weapons to Ukraine. Is this the new axis of evil?

Trump spoke to Putin for 1,5 hours, without any result. What a shocker. And right after their talk, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine. Seems to me that was Putin’s way to tell Trump to go eff himself.

Most of them will be killed by friendly fire just like the first time round. 

2 hours ago, frank83628 said:

Unconfirmed or verified reports  Seen by the liar of liars 'CNN' and to make it more laughable, using a video from 'The Sun'

Jeezus, get a grip, 

You have to be pretty gullible to believe this crap still

You certainly do, comrade.............😬

2 hours ago, gargamon said:

You have to be pretty gullible to believe anything posted by frank83628

You got proven wrong yesterday though didnt you.

Facts from verified sources count, 'anonymous sources' dont

3 hours ago, gargamon said:

You have to be pretty gullible to believe anything posted by frank83628

Indeed...........

1 hour ago, thaibreaker said:

The US trying to turn regions on the other side of the world into democracy, has been a complete disaster. It has cost so many lives in the process.

 

Now the US can't even keep democracy in its own country, so Trump and his administration have decided to join fascism instead.

 

What a mess, what a shiitshow we are witnessing.

It seems all those preaching democracy to others dont accept it in their own country.

Democrats refuse to accept Trump.

Half of Uk refused Brexit

Germany banned opposition

French banned oppostion le'penn

zelensky is illegal, banned any & all opposition

Bibi started war to avoid his charges

Couple more in EU have moved goalposts to stop opposition winning

 

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Trump will not stand for this and he will have a strong word with Rocket man. Just kidding. Crickets from the self proclaimed peacemaker with the widening of the war. He did had an hour of friendly chat with Putin and will delay weapons to Ukraine. Is this the new axis of evil?

The actual axis of evil is the USA and its western allies & israel

10 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

The actual axis of evil is the USA and its western allies & israel

 

Nut stuff.

21 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

It seems all those preaching democracy to others dont accept it in their own country.

Democrats refuse to accept Trump.

Half of Uk refused Brexit

Germany banned opposition

French banned oppostion le'penn

zelensky is illegal, banned any & all opposition

Bibi started war to avoid his charges

Couple more in EU have moved goalposts to stop opposition winning

 

A good summary of hybrid MAGA/Russian propaganda! 🙂

24 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

It seems all those preaching democracy to others dont accept it in their own country.

Democrats refuse to accept Trump.

Half of Uk refused Brexit

Germany banned opposition

French banned oppostion le'penn

zelensky is illegal, banned any & all opposition

Bibi started war to avoid his charges

Couple more in EU have moved goalposts to stop opposition winning

 

And how many Russians DARE not say anything against the invasion of Ukraine, eh........

Sinking those troop transport ships should be easier than fighting them in the battlefield. Go for it.

3 hours ago, frank83628 said:

The actual axis of evil is the USA and its western allies ............

.................for protecting Ukraine from my murdering tyrant invader hero.............

4 hours ago, transam said:

And how many Russians DARE not say anything against the invasion of Ukraine, eh........

Do something useful.. for once, and Google how many people in the UK have been arrested over things theyve said online compared to Russia. The post results here

More cannon fodder. 

 

50 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Do something useful.. for once, and Google how many people in the UK have been arrested over things theyve said online compared to Russia. The post results here

Franksi what a silly request you muppet. UK arrests often involve broader online offenses (e.g., harassment, threats), while Russia’s focus is heavily on political suppression, with fewer but harsher penalties. The UK’s legal framework is stricter on hate speech but less politically motivated, while Russia’s arrests often silence dissent, often extra-judicially.

11 minutes ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

Franksi what a silly request you muppet. UK arrests often involve broader online offenses (e.g., harassment, threats), while Russia’s focus is heavily on political suppression, with fewer but harsher penalties. The UK’s legal framework is stricter on hate speech but less politically motivated, while Russia’s arrests often silence dissent, often extra-judicially.

OK, so do it for political comments then, a couple in the UK jailed recently, Germany raiding homes .. so just do the search, post back