South Korean intelligence says about 11,000 North Korean soldiers — roughly 10,000 combat troops and 1,000 engineers — are stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Around 1,100 soldiers who returned home in late 2025 could be sent back to Russia. The intelligence service also reported that Pyongyang has suffered about 6,000 casualties among its forces in the region, but claimed North Korea gained battlefield experience and modernized weapons with Russian assistance. North Korea has strengthened military ties with Russia, providing weapons and personnel since the full-scale invasion began. Polina Moroziuk writes in The Kyiv Independent:
About 11,000 North Korean troops are stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast as of early 2026 to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Yonhap reported on Feb. 12, citing South Korea’s intelligence.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Pyongyang has strengthened its relationship with Moscow, supplying weapons and deploying North Korean troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2024.
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