Ukrainian intelligence reports that approximately 8,500 North Korean troops are currently deployed in Russia, including personnel operating reconnaissance and attack drones.
Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency (HUR), stated in a CNN interview on August 21 that these North Korean forces are primarily stationed in the Kursk region of Russia.
Skibitsky claimed that among these troops, about 1,000 are engineers and mine clearance specialists, while around 400 are drone operators. Many of these drone operators have reportedly gained operational experience, either directly or indirectly, since their deployment to Russia.
He noted that the drones operated by North Korean forces could potentially be used for reconnaissance or attacks on targets within Ukraine.
According to Skibitsky, the role of North Korean troops is expected to focus more on bolstering Russian rear positions rather than direct engagement on the front lines, thereby supporting the deployment of Russian forces.
He also suggested that if Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in September, there could be a request for additional troop support of up to 50,000 personnel.
North Korea is believed to have first sent troops to the Kursk region in October 2024 to support Russia's war in Ukraine, with initial estimates of around 10,000 troops. Reports indicate that significant casualties occurred during their involvement in large-scale assault tactics.
Ukraine estimates that a total of 25,000 North Korean troops have been deployed or rotated in Russia to date.
There are also indications that North Korea's support for Russia is expanding beyond personnel to include military equipment such as missiles and air defense systems.
Skibitsky claimed that North Korea provided at least 150 KN-23 or KN-24 ballistic missiles to Russia before August of last year and agreed to supply an additional 120 missiles. He suggested that North Korea appears to be gathering actual launch data during Russia's attacks on Ukraine to improve missile accuracy and warhead performance.
Additionally, he stated that North Korea has requested the S-400 air defense system from Russia in exchange for troop and ammunition support and has already received the Pantsir air defense missile system.
Ukrainian intelligence indicates that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is expanding beyond troop support to include drone and missile operations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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