North Korea Continues Preparations to Deploy More Troops to Russia

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that North Korea continues preparations to deploy additional forces to Russia, according to a statement issued to National Assembly member Yu Yong-yun. However, the ministry reported no observable indicators suggesting an imminent troop movement.

Denial of Ukrainian claims

The assessment follows last week’s public denial by Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assertion that Pyongyang plans to dispatch up to 50,000 additional soldiers to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.

Ongoing weapons transfers

In its communication with the legislator, the South Korean defense ministry stated that North Korea has continued supplying Russia with weapon systems, including short-range ballistic missiles. This flow forms part of a broader pattern of military collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow that intensified after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Timeline of military cooperation

According to joint assessments by South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western intelligence sources, North Korea began delivering artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles to Russia in 2023. The first known deployment of North Korean personnel to Russian territory occurred in 2024. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have previously denied carrying out weapons transfers.