Key Points and Summary – North Korea is reportedly preparing to send as many as another 30,000 troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine, a massive escalation of its support for Moscow’s war effort, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
-This new contingent would reinforce the 11,000 North Korean soldiers already deployed, who have reportedly suffered heavy casualties.
-Western officials have backed Kyiv’s claims, citing satellite imagery of renewed activity at military transport hubs.
-In return for manpower and munitions, North Korea is believed to be receiving critical Russian military technology.
-This deepening alliance between the two pariah states raises global alarms about the war’s expansion.
North Korea Poised to ‘Send 30,000 Troops to Ukraine’
North Korea is working toward sending as many as 30,000 troops to fight in Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence made the claims this week, and if true, it would signal a huge upscale in Pyongyang’s partnership with Moscow.
The report, seen by CNN, says the deployment could begin in the coming months and would reinforce the 11,000 North Korean soldiers already sent last year.
Around 4,000 of those earlier troops are believed to have been killed or injured, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred Kim Jong Un. It appears he’s doubling down.
West Backs Kyiv’s Claims on North Korea
Western officials have backed the Ukrainian estimate, with some pointing to satellite images showing renewed activity at North Korean and Russian military transport hubs.
Cargo planes have been spotted at North Korea’s Sunan airport, and troop transport ships docked at Russia’s Dunai port in May — both locations linked to last year’s deployments.
This time, though, the plan seems even more ambitious. Ukrainian officials say the Russian military is preparing to fully integrate North Korean forces into its combat units, equipping them with weapons and placing them in occupied areas of Ukraine — possibly in time for major new offensives.
Moscow: ‘North Korean Fighters are No Worse than Ours’
Training videos aired on Russian state TV show North Korean and Russian soldiers working side by side, practicing room-clearing drills and learning how to counter drones with shotguns.
One Russian officer described the North Korean fighters as “no worse than ours.”
Experts say the 30,000 figure might be on the high side. Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said a phased deployment of 10,000 to 20,000 troops is more likely. Still, she noted that North Korea “can certainly come up with that number” — though the soldiers sent won’t be elite.
‘Alarming and Revealing’ Moment
For Kyiv, the move is both alarming and revealing.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov warned that Russia’s reliance on North Korean troops shows just how badly Moscow is struggling with recruitment. “This shows serious problems with their mobilization reserve,” he said.
Behind the scenes, coordination is ramping up. Vladimir Putin’s top adviser, Sergei Shoigu, visited Pyongyang last month to arrange the latest deployments, including thousands of sappers and military builders. South Korea has also confirmed that North Korea is actively selecting more personnel for dispatch.
North Korea has already supplied Russia with missiles, artillery shells, and now — it seems — a steady stream of manpower.
For Kim Jong Un, the logic appears brutal but clear: helping Moscow now might put the Kremlin in Pyongyang’s debt for years to come.
Whether this alliance of pariahs will shift the balance of power remains to be seen. But one thing’s sure — it’s not just Russia’s war anymore.
About the Author:
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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Swamplaw Yankee
July 19, 2025 at 12:01 am
The ability to ask penetrating questions has rewards. When was the last time the USA, russia, china and manchria (Korea) hit the news.
From 1937 to 1949 the USA had citizens that screwed up world history related to the above. Marshall fiddled about in China in a manner different than the way he treated the commies in Europe. The Huge population of China was lost to the communists because of the USA. There was no military aid to China after 45, Us cut off all ammunition to the Nationalists and the Stalin cell networks in the government interfered to the benefit of the communists, that is Stalin. Stalin and Mao used the muslim trick of Kitman repeatedly and the State Department swallowed the trickery very willingly.
Huge numbers of Han CCP Zi military men and hardware can be moved at will into Putin’s Federation. Putin can just replay the Stalin game of Manchuria. The WEST loses, the commies win. And, the USA has so few people who know the why of 1945-49, that, effectively, the Yankee population is ignorant of any Federal US Government history in the giveaway of China to the commies.
The unwanted, unasked for 50 day free time MAGA POTUS trump gift to the cold war enemy of the WEST is the key. Trump has shown that the cold war enemy, Russia, is too much for his comprehension.
The reality of the US demanding zero ammunition for the Nationalists still in mind boggling. The huge reservoir of German ammunition was free for China after May 45. The White House made sure that the first shipments of ammo were waylaid over to Stalin and the massive rest destroyed. Even cash purchases of ammo by China were rejected by the Yankees.
The same game is still afoot. The White House + POTUS stop essential military hardware that would save Ukrainian families and fathers from the orc muscovite genetic need to kill Ukrainians. Then, the game of where is the hardware exactly.
Every hour the hardware is delayed in transit is another lost Ukrainian urban centre. The peasant russians are lined up for Putin’s free real estate of Ukraine. What do you want, a farm, a factory, a hi-rise, a hospital, Putin is giving out cheap insurance to his sex traders who still fear the probability the original Ukrainian owners might return. Every North Korean or muslim Han CCP triad type can invade, plunder what ever the next urban centre in Ukraine may have.
The big attraction for peasant russians is the 2014 POTUS Obama Democrat Cabal unilateral greenlighting of the re-start of the Epstein-like sex trade business by Putin. Putin’s “little green groomer” military immediately, in 2014, re-started their 600 year old “Lolita” business of mass abduction + abuse of little Ukrainian children. Is it an urban legend, or does every ruskie has the genetic need to teach russian language and table top dancing, moscow style, to kidnapped Ukrainian children?
The world must notice this moral turpitude that since 2014 not a single POTUS has shown any concern to militarily demand from the dictator Putin $10,000,000 in US gold bullion for each and every kidnapped Ukrainian as compensation and reparation for the torture, sexual abuse and cultural genocide of the little kiddies. Every POTUS refused to demand compensation, let alone criminal prosecution of the Putin army of ruskie facilitators.
The tragic, inhuman reality is that the MAGA POTUS Trump just goes cuddly on ruskie pedophiles with free, no-cost gifting to the child abusers of another two weeks of free USA sanctioned human trafficking. Who has reminded Trump that this was not acceptable in 1616 and is NOT acceptable in 2025. You see, Trump just does not have it inside of himself, to self-speak, to defend these children continually abused since 2014. -30-