Russia is deploying North Korean troops in its war against Ukraine, says intelligence
A contingent of the North Korean army continues to take part in Russia’s war against Ukraine on the side of the aggressor. As of January 2026, North Korean troops are stationed in Russia’s Kursk region, from where they carry out attacks on border communities in Ukraine.
This information was reported by the press service of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defence.
According to the report, under Russian command, North Korean soldiers are engaging in artillery and multiple-launch rocket system fire, performing tasks in aerial and artillery reconnaissance, and coordinating rocket strikes.
A key focus of their deployment is on mastering drone technologies and gaining experience in modern warfare — a defining feature and one of the main objectives of the North Korean army’s participation in the Russia–Ukraine war.
Under agreements between Moscow and Pyongyang, troops stationed in the Kursk region are regularly rotated. Since the beginning of North Korea’s involvement, around 3,000 soldiers have returned home, trained and experienced. Most of them become military instructors, passing on their knowledge of 21st-century warfare to the wider North Korean army.
In recent years, Russia has also supplied over 100 pedigree horses to North Korea’s elite units, used in Kim Jong Un’s cavalry regiment and military parades in Pyongyang.
It is worth noting that North Korea provides over 40% of military supplies to Russia.
