Ukraine intelligence: North Korea ready to send tens of thousands of soldiers to Russia

Ukraine's military intelligence alleges that North Korea is preparing to send a substantial contingent of tens of thousands of soldiers to Russia. This claim suggests a deepening military cooperation between the two nations amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

According to information obtained by the BBC from Ukraine's Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, an estimated 8,500 North Korean soldiers were present in Russia as of August 2026. These soldiers have reportedly been organized into four brigades operating within Russia's "North" military group. The presence of these troops is maintained through a rotation system, with a total of 23,000 to 25,000 soldiers having participated in this operation to date.

Kyiv believes that deploying a large number of North Korean troops to guard Russia's borders would enable Moscow to redeploy its own forces currently stationed there to bolster its military presence in Ukraine. Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's intelligence directorate, stated, "Based on the information we have, between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean soldiers could be stationed in the Russian Federation as early as today. We are closely monitoring this situation."

Skibitskyi emphasized that the primary role of these North Korean forces is to secure Russian territory, which involves logistical support, engineering work, and the preparation of military facilities. However, Ukrainian intelligence has not found any evidence suggesting these troops would be directly involved in combat operations within Ukraine. "We do not have any documents or plans from the Russian Federation regarding the deployment of this unit (North Korean soldiers) in our territory. After all, what would that mean? It would mean that a third country is actually participating in the war taking place in our territory," Skibitskyi stated. He added that by assisting Russia in this capacity, North Korean soldiers could gain valuable modern combat experience, particularly with drone technology. Ukraine has previously accused Pyongyang of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, which have reportedly been used in attacks on Ukrainian territory.