North Korea may once again join Russia's war against Ukraine on a large scale.
Modern.az reports that, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Moscow is preparing to send up to 50,000 North Korean troops to Russia.
Previously, this number was estimated to be around 30,000 people.
The first North Korean military units arrived in Russia in late 2024. They were involved in battles in the Kursk region, where the Russian army was trying to dislodge Ukrainian forces from the area.
According to various estimates, about 11-14 thousand North Korean soldiers participated in the Kursk operation. They are reported to have suffered heavy losses. Ukrainian intelligence announced that approximately 3,000 soldiers were killed and another 1,500 were wounded. An analysis by the BBC of the memorial complex in Pyongyang, however, indicated that the number of dead was approximately 2,300.
Nevertheless, North Korea has not abandoned military cooperation with Russia.
North Korean soldiers faced heavy losses in the initial phase due to tactics of modern warfare that were unusual for them. They had to operate in combat conditions where drones, artillery, and high-precision weapons were widely used.
According to South Korean researcher Yang Uk, North Korean soldiers adapted to combat conditions over time.
According to Ukrainian military personnel, North Korean soldiers initially attacked in large groups, suffering significant losses. They later changed tactics and began using more mobile units.
One of the most striking features of their behavior on the battlefield was their desire not to be captured. Ukrainian military personnel reported cases where wounded North Korean soldiers committed suicide to avoid capture.
In Pyongyang, the fallen soldiers were officially declared heroes, and it was stated that they preferred to blow themselves up rather than be captured.
For North Korea, cooperation with Russia is not only military but also economic.
Pyongyang receives food, oil, and foreign currency from Moscow in exchange for military aid. According to calculations by South Korean researcher Lim Su Hon, arms sales to Russia and the deployment of troops could bring North Korea approximately $10 billion in revenue.
The rapprochement with Moscow also allows Pyongyang to reduce its traditional dependence on China.
For Moscow, North Korean soldiers are one of the means to compensate for the shortage of personnel. According to assessments by Western and Ukrainian intelligence services, the Russian army loses more soldiers each month than it can recruit.
For this reason, Russia is increasingly recruiting foreign citizens into the army. In addition to North Korean citizens, mercenaries from various countries are also reported to be fighting in Russian units.
