For the first time, North Korea has confirmed that it sent troops to fight for Russia in the ongoing war against Ukraine. This acknowledgment comes after months of speculation and intelligence reports from South Korea and Western countries, which indicated that Pyongyang had deployed soldiers to the Kursk region in Russia last year.
The confirmation was made through a report by North Korea's state news agency, KCNA, which detailed that the troops were sent in line with a mutual defense agreement between North Korea and Russia. The report also praised the soldiers, calling them "heroes" who fought for "justice" and were representatives of the "honor of the motherland." Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, declared that the soldiers’ efforts helped Russia “completely liberate” the Kursk region, a claim that Ukraine has denied.
Moscow's acknowledgment of North Korean troops came just days after Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov praised the "heroism" of these forces during a Russian counter-offensive. This marks the first time Russia has openly acknowledged the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the conflict.
North Korea and Russia, which have strengthened their ties in recent years, have shown a united front through this military cooperation. The KCNA also highlighted the “alliance and brotherhood” between the two nations, with the report emphasizing a “friendship proven by blood” that will help deepen their relationship further. However, the KCNA did not mention what would happen to the North Korean troops after their mission in Kursk concluded.
Intelligence reports in October had first suggested the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia. These reports followed the signing of a mutual defense pact between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, where both leaders agreed to support each other in case of aggression. Western officials later estimated that at least 1,000 of the 11,000 North Korean soldiers sent had been killed within three months of their deployment.
The North Korean soldiers, reportedly part of an elite unit called the Storm Corps, are believed to be poorly trained for modern combat. Despite this, Ukraine’s top military commander, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, has warned that North Korean troops have become a significant challenge for Ukrainian forces, noting their high numbers and reliance on Soviet-style tactics.
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