According to a senior Ukrainian official and a senior U.S. official, North Korean troops have joined the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, engaging in their first clash with Ukrainian forces who are currently holding a significant portion of Russia’s western Kursk region.
The Ukrainian official stated [anonymously] that the violence was brief and seemed to be an attempt to test for vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s defensive lines. The North Korean forces reportedly fought alongside Russia’s 810th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade. The exact timing of the engagement remains unclear, and while the Ukrainian official did not provide details on casualties, the U.S. official confirmed that a notable number of North Korean soldiers were killed according to The New York Times.
“Over 10,000 DPRK soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk Oblast, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces,” stated U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel to US News at a briefing. The troops have been sent by Kim Jong-un to support Russian forces in their effort to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region. Currently, Ukraine controls roughly 647 square kilometers (250 square miles) of the area after an incursion that began last summer.
While the majority of the North Korean soldiers have not engaged in direct conflict, their involvement in the war is seen by both Western and Ukrainian officials as a significant escalation, making the conflict, now ongoing for more than two years, increasingly fierce.
During a nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the involvement of DPRK forces in the war and urged Ukraine’s allies to aid in countering the evolving threat. “The first battles with North Korean soldiers mark a new chapter of global instability.” He emphasized, “Together with the world, we must do everything to ensure that this Russian step toward expanding the war—this true escalation—becomes a loss.” According to The New York Times.
North Korean soldiers began their arrival in the Russian port city of Vladivostok by boat in October, and traveled 6,437 kilometers (4,000 miles) west to the Kursk region. A senior Ukrainian official stated that the remainder of the North Korean force could soon join the fighting. The troops have been organized into two units: one consisting of assault troops, and the other made up of support forces tasked with organizing the defense of areas retaken from Ukrainian control. There has been considerable debate in Ukraine and among its allies about the military impact of the North Korean troops. Some officials view their deployment as a sign of desperation by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces, while making territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, are suffering heavy losses.
Some analysts suggest that the decision to deploy North Korean troops may be aimed at weakening Western resolve, demonstrating that Russia is far from isolated in its efforts. The presence of North Korean forces could also help Russia redirect more of its own forces toward offensive operations in Ukraine, particularly in the Donbas region. There, Russian forces are focused on securing as much territory as possible before the onset of winter, which could further impact the trajectory of the conflict.
It remains unclear what Putin may have promised Kim in exchange for sending troops. U.S. officials have stated they have found no evidence of a direct quid pro quo. However, there are concerns that Russia could offer significant military aid to North Korea, potentially increasing the threat the country poses to its neighbors and the United States. Since the summer of 2023, North Korea has also supplied Russia with 16,000 shipping containers filled with artillery shells, rockets, and missiles, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. In June, Putin met with Kim in the North Korean capital city of Pyongyang, where they revived a Cold War-era treaty of mutual defense and military cooperation between their nations.
