North Korea Confirms It Sent Troops to Support Russian Forces in Ukraine

Russia said that North Korean soldiers had provided ‘significant assistance’ to its military in retaking the Kursk region from Ukrainian control.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches a cadet practicing on the parallel bars during his visit to the Kang Kon Military Academy, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Feb. 25, 2025. KCNA via Reuters

North Korea disclosed for the first time on April 28 that it had deployed troops to Russia to help Moscow regain control of the Kursk region, which had previously been occupied by Ukrainian troops.

The North Korean ruling party stated that the troop deployment was ordered by leader Kim Jong Un as part of the “comprehensive strategic partnership” he signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin last year, according to a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.