North Korea Expands Military Support for Russia, Sending Drone Operators, Ukraine Says

 

KYIV — North Korea is deepening its military support for Russia, with a new deployment of thousands of troops reportedly including hundreds of specialised drone operators who could carry out reconnaissance and attacks against targets inside Ukraine, according to Ukrainian military intelligence.

Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, said around 8,500 North Korean troops are currently operating in Russia, mainly in the Kursk region. Among them are approximately 400 drone operators and about 1,000 engineers and demining specialists.

The deployment represents a significant expansion of the military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, which has grown substantially since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Drone operators bring a new dimension

The involvement of North Korean drone operators could give Pyongyang valuable battlefield experience while providing Russia with additional personnel for its increasingly drone-dependent war effort.

Ukrainian intelligence says the North Korean drone unit could conduct reconnaissance and potentially strike targets inside Ukraine while operating from Russian territory. The North Korean troops are currently reported to be deployed in Russia rather than inside Ukraine itself.

The development is particularly significant because drone warfare has become central to the conflict. Both Russia and Ukraine increasingly rely on unmanned aircraft for surveillance, targeting and attacks.

Military analysts say North Korean personnel working alongside Russian forces could also gain valuable knowledge about modern battlefield drone operations and tactics. North Korean troops previously used reconnaissance and first-person-view drones alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region.

Russia may seek tens of thousands more troops

The Ukrainian intelligence assessment goes further, warning that Moscow could seek a much larger North Korean deployment.

Skibitskyi said Russian President Vladimir Putin could ask North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for as many as 50,000 additional troops when the two leaders potentially meet in September.

Ukraine says approximately 25,000 North Korean soldiers have already been deployed or rotated through the Russian military since Pyongyang began providing direct military manpower to Moscow.

However, South Korea has said it sees signs that North Korea is preparing for further deployments but has not detected evidence that another major troop movement is imminent. North Korean officials have also denied some of Ukraine's claims regarding a possible deployment of up to 50,000 additional soldiers.

Growing military partnership

North Korea and Russia formalised their closer military relationship in 2024 with a mutual defence pact.

Since then, Western and Ukrainian officials have accused Pyongyang of supplying Russia with ammunition, missiles and military personnel for the war in Ukraine.

South Korean intelligence has estimated that North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 15 million rounds of artillery ammunition and short-range ballistic missiles, while its troops have gained combat experience alongside Russian forces.

Ukraine's latest intelligence assessment suggests the relationship is now evolving beyond conventional ammunition and manpower to include more specialised military capabilities.

Ukraine faces growing pressure

The developments come as Ukraine faces intense pressure on its air-defence systems.

Russia has increasingly relied on large-scale drone and missile attacks, while Ukraine has struggled with shortages of air-defence interceptors. In one recent assessment, Russian forces launched 135 drones in a single overnight attack, according to Ukrainian officials.

That makes the reported arrival of hundreds of North Korean drone specialists particularly significant.

For Ukraine, the concern is that Russia could use additional North Korean personnel to free Russian troops for frontline operations while allowing Moscow to expand its drone warfare capabilities.

A partnership with wider consequences

The deepening Russia-North Korea military relationship is also being watched closely in South Korea, the United States and Europe.

North Korea's involvement gives its military an opportunity to learn directly from a modern war involving drones, electronic warfare, missiles and rapidly changing battlefield technology.

Russia, meanwhile, gains access to additional manpower and military supplies at a time when the war continues to place enormous demands on its armed forces.

For Ukraine, the fear is clear: the war is no longer simply a confrontation between Moscow and Kyiv. It is increasingly drawing military resources, technology and personnel from a growing network of countries.

And with hundreds of North Korean drone operators now reportedly in Russia, the partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang appears to be entering a new and potentially more dangerous phase.