Ukraine, together with partners, is processing information about possible additional involvement of North Korean troops by Russia against the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
This was stated by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to journalists, a Babel correspondent reports.
"Russiaʼs use of the elite North Korean contingent indicates not only a deepening dependence on totalitarian regimes, but also real problems with the mobilization reserve. Together with our partners, we are monitoring these threats and will respond accordingly," he noted.
The Ministry of Defense, together with partners, has detailed information on the movement and use of North Korean units and continues to analyze threats.
"North Korea has already involved about 11 000 elite troops in the war against Ukraine. These are fighters specially selected based on physical, psychological, and other criteria — from approximately 50 000 ʼpersonal reserveʼ of Kim Jong Unʼs regime. These units have already suffered significant losses," says Umerov.
According to him, Kim Jong Un was considering the possibility of transferring an additional contingent to Russia. However, this threatens his own security, as it involves the depletion of the strategic reserve.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian Federation lost several waves of this so-called elite reserve of the DPRK, which confirms the high losses and limited capabilities of the Kremlin to form new combat-ready forces.
On June 26, South Korean intelligence reported that North Korea may send additional troops to Russia in July or August to participate in the war against Ukraine.
The Union of Russia and the DPRK
Russia is using North Korean soldiers in the war with Ukraine — the first of them arrived at the front in October 2024, when it was about 12 thousand people. And in March 2025, North Korea sent another 3 thousand soldiers.
At first, both sides denied this, but on April 26 of this year, Russia officially acknowledged for the first time the participation of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine. Two days later, North Korea also confirmed that its troops were participating in Russiaʼs full-scale war against Ukraine, including fighting on the Kursk direction.
South Korean lawmakers, citing intelligence, stated that as of April, the DPRK had lost approximately 4 700 of its 15 000 fighters, 600 of whom were killed.
In addition to manpower, the DPRK provides Russia with weapons. As early as January 4, 2024, Western media wrote that Russia had received a batch of ballistic missiles from the DPRK (several dozen) and launchers for them. On the same day, the US officially stated that Russia had short-range ballistic missiles from the DPRK and had launched them over Ukraine.
The head of the GUR Kyrylo Budanov said in January 2025 that North Korea plans to send another 150 ballistic missiles to Russia this year.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won Sik said in an interview with Bloomberg on June 14 that North Korea had sent containers to Russia that could hold nearly 5 million artillery shells, but Moscow needed more.
Earlier, in April, Reuters wrote that North Korea had transferred up to 6 million shells to Russia. Without them, Russia would not have been able to wage war so actively. At certain periods last year, the majority of shells used by individual Russian units were North Korean. In some places, it was said to be 100%. The publication noted that this was the most significant direct military assistance to Russia in the war.
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