North Korea Sends 8,500 Troops and 400 Drone Operators to Russia, Expanding Missile Support
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · Aug 22
North Korea Sends 8,500 Troops and 400 Drone Operators to Russia, Expanding Missile Support
3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · Aug 22
Summary
About 8,500 North Korean troops — including 400 drone operators and roughly 1,000 engineers and deminers — have been deployed mainly to Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine’s military intelligence said.
Those forces are expected to hold rear positions rather than fight inside Ukraine directly, freeing Russian units for frontline assaults while the drone team supports reconnaissance and strike missions.
At least 150 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles were sent to Russia between late 2023 and August 2025, with another 120 promised and 40 reportedly already delivered; around 90 North Korean personnel were also sent to help with launches.
Ukraine says Pyongyang is trading troops and weapons for Russian military technology, seeking the S-400 system and already receiving a Pantsir-S1 as the partnership broadens under their 2024 defense treaty.
Around 25,000 North Korean troops have served in Russia so far, and Kyiv assesses Moscow could seek up to 50,000 more at a possible Putin-Kim meeting in September, though Kim Yo Jong called that claim groundless.
How will North Korea's battle-tested troops and new Russian tech reshape Asian security?
Will China's 2026 diplomatic push successfully reclaim its influence over a newly emboldened North Korea?
What secret military logistics are truly flowing across the newly built Tumen River bridge?
North Korea’s Expanding Role in Ukraine: 25,000 Troops, Ballistic Missiles, and the New Eurasian Alliance
Overview
In summer 2026, Russia reignited its use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine after securing a new stockpile from Pyongyang, leading to deadly civilian casualties and exposing Ukraine’s critical shortage of Patriot interceptors. North Korea deepened its involvement by deploying missile units and combat troops to Russia, while Russian and North Korean engineers improved missile accuracy through satellite navigation upgrades. This partnership allowed Russia to sustain heavy artillery fire and freed up Russian troops for frontline assaults. Meanwhile, North Korea gained billions in revenue and advanced military technology, rapidly modernizing its defense industry and drone capabilities, while the alliance’s ripple effects heightened instability and nuclear tensions across East Asia.