North Korea vs. Ukraine: Where Russia Will Send "North Korean Aid" in the Form of 25,000 New Troops

North Korea could send additional troops to the war against Ukraine in July-August 2025. This was reported by the National Intelligence Service of South Korea.

According to their data, Russia agreed on this with North Korea during Sergei Shoigu's last visit to Pyongyang. In return, North Korea receives technical assistance from Russia for satellites and missile guidance systems. Cooperation is based on a mutual defense agreement signed in June 2024. Both countries confirmed the participation of North Korean troops in the Russian offensive, particularly to retake the Kursk region.

 

North Korea vs. Ukraine: How Dangerous Are New Units of North Korean Troops

 

Former spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and military expert Vladislav Seleznyov expressed concern about the possible participation of North Korean soldiers in the war on the side of Russia. According to him, the appearance of additional forces from North Korea in July-August of this year could create significant problems for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, given their training, motivation and analysis of previous combat experience.

“Against the background of statements about the possible appearance of an additional group of North Korean military personnel in July-August, I am not happy about this. We are talking about additional resources, trained and motivated fighters. I am especially confident that the experience gained by the first units of the North Korean army is now being carefully analyzed and transferred to all future participants in this expeditionary force,” Seleznyov tells Focus.

The expert assumes that North Korean troops will not be used on several battle lines, but in a concentrated manner. According to him, Russia has already used similar tactics against other foreign formations. Such a concentration of forces, according to Seleznev, is aimed at increasing their effectiveness on the battlefield.

According to military expert Oleg Zhdanov, the participation of a significant number of trained fighters can affect the situation in certain operational areas. The expert emphasizes that the number of North Korean military personnel mentioned in open sources is significant. This is about 25,000 soldiers, which is the largest number since the first reports of North Korea's participation in the war, more precisely since January 2024. He notes that the previous group of 11,000 fighters has already gained combat experience.

"The North Korean army initially suffered losses in the Kursk region - up to 40 percent of its personnel, and then more or less experienced soldiers began to fight. The Ukrainian military noticed that the training of the North Korean troops had intensified, and now those who come will have at least an idea of what is happening here at the front and how modern warfare is conducted. I think it is unlikely that they will start an attack, because they went into full force in large numbers in 2024," Zhdanov tells Focus.

The expert believes that their training and numbers can significantly affect the course of hostilities in Ukraine.

 

Koreans on the front in Ukraine: where North Korean soldiers can be used

 

Vladislav Seleznev emphasizes that Russia ignores international law by involving foreign troops. In particular, this new contingent may also be involved in battles in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. He explains that Russia justifies the presence of foreign forces, relying on its own legislation. Amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation include the occupied Ukrainian territories in Russia, and this allegedly allows them to involve foreign troops in the war against Ukraine.

Also, according to experts, North Koreans may be involved in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

Oleg Zhdanov suggests that it is officially unlikely that North Korean troops will cross the border of Ukraine, as was the case before, when they operated in the Kursk region. However, he does not exclude the possibility that Russia will disguise these troops as its own.

“Putin could give them Russian uniforms, Russian documents and bring them to the occupied territories. In this way, the Russian Federation is trying to compensate for its own losses. They are withdrawing their soldiers from wherever they can, from permanent deployment sites, from rear areas,” the expert adds.

He suggests that North Korean troops could replace Russian units in occupied cities such as Berdyansk, Melitopol or Tokmak, which would allow the Russians to be transferred to the front lines.

Recall that since September 2023, North Korea has transferred large amounts of military aid to Russia - at least 20,000 cargo containers with weapons.

Focus wrote that the DPRK has become a key supplier of ammunition and weapons for the Russian army, including artillery shells and self-propelled guns.