Main points
- 6,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in the war against Ukraine, but the DPRK continues to send its citizens to the front.
- North Korea has created a new unmanned aerial vehicle department and is accelerating efforts to create a system for producing drones.
Vladimir Putin with Kim Jong-un / Photo Getty Images
6,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in Russia's war against Ukraine. Despite this, the DPRK continues to send its citizens to the front.
This is reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
How many North Korean soldiers are fighting against Ukraine?
South Korea's intelligence service said that about 11,000 North Korean soldiers are currently fighting on the side of Moscow in the Kursk frontline. 10,000 are regular troops, 1,000 are engineers.
About 1,100 soldiers who were already at the front and returned in December 2025 are to go to fight against Ukraine again.
Despite 6,000 losses, the North Korean army achieved results in the form of acquiring modern combat tactics on the battlefield, as well as modernizing its weapons systems with technical assistance from Russia,
– said the intelligence.
The agency also noted that North Korea has established a new unmanned aerial vehicle division and is accelerating efforts to create a system that can produce drones.
What role does North Korea play in the war against Ukraine?
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Russia is involving North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine, using them for artillery strikes, work with MLRS and drones. According to the GUR, North Korean soldiers also conduct aerial reconnaissance and fire correction, while mastering modern drone technologies. The rotation of the contingent is ongoing in the Kursk region, and about three thousand soldiers have already returned to the DPRK since the beginning of their participation in the war.
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However, severe frosts have slowed the supply of weapons from North Korea to Russia, making it difficult for ships to move. From 2023, the DPRK could transfer from 6.5 to more than 8 million artillery shells to Moscow. In January, only one Russian ship entered the port of Rason for loading, likely related to arms exports. According to experts, it could have been the sanctioned ship Angara or Lady R – the first recorded event since December 21, indicating a temporary slowdown in military shipments.
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In October, North Korea also began construction on a museum dedicated to young soldiers who died fighting on Russia's side against Ukraine. Earlier this month, Kim Jong-un visited a construction site in Pyongyang and symbolically threw the first shovel of soil during a tree planting ceremony. He also praised the sculptures, saying they should forever convey the “legendary exploits and glorious lives” of the fallen soldiers.