Overview
- British Defense Ministry data show more than 6,000 of the roughly 11,000 North Korean soldiers sent to Kursk in autumn 2024 were killed or wounded.
- South Korean military officials report an additional 3,000 North Korean troops arrived in Russia between January and February 2025 to bolster depleted units.
- Kim Jong Un reiterated unconditional support for Russia during a June visit by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu to Pyongyang.
- Pyongyang has supplied artillery shells, missiles and manpower to Russia in exchange for petroleum products and advanced military technology.
- Russia plans to deploy 5,000 North Korean workers and 1,000 sappers to rebuild infrastructure in the war-damaged Kursk region.