Rows of North Korean soldiers march through Pyongyang, North Korea, during a military parade in May 2019. North Korean soldiers entered Russia to fight against Ukrainian forces in late 2024, and may be preparing to do so again. (Shutterstock/Oleg Znamenskiy)

North Korea Is Sending More Soldiers to Russia Than Previously Thought

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It is unclear what Pyongyang will receive in return for the deployment of its troops—but Moscow can certainly find ways to compensate it.

North Korea intends to deploy up to 50,000 troops in Russia to fight on Moscow’s behalf in the ongoing Ukraine war, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned over the weekend. 

The Ukrainian leader revealed that tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers had already gathered in Russia in support of the Kremlin’s “special military operation.” 

Up to 50,000 North Korean Troops in Russia, Zelensky Says 

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Zelensky claimed that there was an agreement in place between the most senior levels of the Russian and North Korean governments for the deployment of tens of thousands of North Korean troops into Russia.  

“A decision has been made for 30,000 ⁠to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia,” Zelensky wrote.

North Koreans appear on the territory of the Russian Federation from time to time. We see this, we know this. At first, we were talking about hundreds, then thousands, and now a decision has been made for 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia.…........

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