North Korea responded to reports about sending military personnel to Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong has denied reports that Pyongyang is preparing to send a new contingent to Russia. Since the beginning of August, Ukraine has announced plans to involve North Koreans in its military operations. This was first stated by Vladimir Zelensky, and then by Ukrainian intelligence. She stated that the number of North Korean military personnel in the Russian border area could allegedly grow to 30-50 thousand people. What is known about the situation is in the material of "Gazeta.Ru».
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, deputy head of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Yo Jong denied reports that Pyongyang is preparing to send additional troops to Russia.
At the same time, Kim Yo Jong stressed that the DPRK will continue to cooperate with Russia within the framework of the strategic partnership agreement and fulfill its allied obligations.
She also stated that Pyongyang supports Russia's actions to protect its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Kim Yo Jong blamed the United States and other Western countries for the outbreak and continuation of the conflict in Ukraine, calling what was happening a "proxy war."
Where did the rumors come from
In early August, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced that tens of thousands of North Korean troops were planning to deploy in Russia.
"If at first we were talking about hundreds, then thousands, now it has been decided that from 30 to 50 thousand North Koreans should be in Russia," he said.
In his opinion, participation in the conflict will help the North Korean army gain real combat experience that Pyongyang can use in the event of crises in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, he claims that North Korea will receive licenses and "all military tools" from Russia. In this regard, Zelensky called on South Korea to cooperate more actively with Kiev.
On August 18, the Ukrainian intelligence service announced the involvement of North Korean forces, again mentioning the number of 30-50 thousand people. Vadim Skibitsky, Deputy Head of the GUR, made a statement according to which there are allegedly about 8.5 thousand North Korean military personnel in Russia.
According to Skibitsky, these units are currently "not participating in battles on the territory of Ukraine." Their main task is to cover the Russian border, he explained.
The average age of North Korean military personnel is up to 30 years, said the deputy head of the GUR. According to the agency, the composition of the units changes periodically.
According to Skibitsky, the new military is planned to be deployed for the defense of Russia's border regions.
According to the GUR, the deployment of units from the DPRK in the border regions will allow the Russian army to transfer some of its own forces to other sectors of the front.
The Kremlin had previously refused to comment on the reports from the Ukrainian side. "It's not for Zelensky to talk about our plans," said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
What will the North Korean military change in the border area?
Vasily Dandykin, a military expert and captain of the first rank in the reserve of the Russian Armed Forces, believes that the deployment of a large North Korean contingent near the border can indeed free up some of the Russian units. In his opinion, North Korean military personnel can be deployed in the Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions.
Russian troops will be able to go to places where a buffer zone is being created, as well as to promising areas, for example, to Kharkov.
"We defended our homeland as our own"
The North Korean military participated in the operation to protect the Kursk region during the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the region. In April 2025, the head of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, noted that the DPRK military "provided significant assistance in defeating the entrenched group." Russian President Vladimir Putin also thanked the North Korean military for their help.
"We pay tribute to the heroism, high level of special training and dedication of the Korean soldiers who, shoulder to shoulder with the Russian fighters, defended our Homeland as their own," the Russian leader said.
Kim Jong-un called those North Koreans who fought in the Kursk region heroes and called for their memory to be perpetuated. A memorial complex was opened in Pyongyang in their honor this year. The ceremony was attended by the head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Andrei Belousov, who also presented the DPRK military with the Order of Courage.
Irina Markova
