As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov embarks on a pivotal state visit to Pyongyang, the spotlight has fallen on the intensifying military alliance between Moscow and North Korea. This visit is not a mere diplomatic gesture; it is a signifier of deepening cooperation that now extends far beyond symbolic support into concrete battlefield collaboration. At a time when the world’s attention is focused on the war in Ukraine and the fragile balance of power in East Asia, the implications of this partnership are reverberating across continents.

At the heart of this emerging alliance is a defense pact signed last year between Russia and North Korea. Article 4 of the treaty binds each nation to support the other in the event of foreign aggression. It didn’t take long for that clause to be invoked. When Ukrainian forces pushed into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in September 2024, Pyongyang answered Moscow’s call for assistance by deploying thousands of troops-a move that shocked military observers and raised serious concerns in Western capitals.

Over 10,000 North Korean soldiers, reportedly drawn from elite special forces units, were deployed to help Russian forces reclaim territory. This was not a symbolic presence. These troops took part in intense combat operations, with devastating consequences. Open-source intelligence estimates suggest around 4,000 North Korean soldiers were killed during the Kursk campaign-roughly the size of a full brigade. Most of these troops operated under draconian rules of engagement that included orders to commit suicide rather than be captured. This explains why very few North Korean soldiers have been taken prisoner, while images of their corpses have spread across social media.

Ukrainian military officials initially dismissed the North Korean contingent as poorly trained and disorganized. However, that assessment changed rapidly. After........

© Blitz