8,500 North Korean Troops Now in Russia, Ukraine Says

North Korea has sent around 400 drone operators to Russia as part of a new deployment of approximately 8,500 troops that could support attacks on targets inside Ukraine, Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), told CNN on Friday, Aug. 21.

The contingent is deployed primarily in Russia’s Kursk Oblast and includes about 1,000 engineers and deminers, Skibitskyi said.

Many of the drone operators have gained experience through previous North Korean deployments, according to the Ukrainian intelligence official.

Skibitskyi said their drones would likely be used for reconnaissance and attacks against targets inside Ukraine.

North Korean troops could free up Russian forces

Ukrainian intelligence assesses that the newly deployed North Korean troops are not expected to fight directly on Ukrainian territory.

Instead, they are expected to reinforce Russian rear positions, allowing Russian troops currently assigned to those areas to be redirected to assaults along the front, Skibitskyi said.

He said Russia could ask North Korea to provide up to 50,000 additional troops during a potential September meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, rejected Ukrainian claims that Pyongyang planned to send tens of thousands of additional troops to Russia, calling the estimate “groundless” and “a self-staged incident.”

North Korea supplies Russia with ballistic missiles

North Korea is also expanding its military support for Russia through ballistic missile deliveries, Skibitskyi said.

He said North Korea had sent Russia at least 150 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles for use against Ukraine between late 2023 and August 2025 and had promised another 120.

Of that new batch, 40 missiles have reportedly been delivered. Two are believed to have been used during a July 30 Russian strike on Radushne in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that killed at least four children from the same family, Skibitskyi said.

The deliveries come as Ukraine’s stocks of US-made Patriot interceptors, which are critical for stopping ballistic missiles, have been heavily depleted.

Around 90 North Korean personnel have also been sent to Voronezh to assist with missile launches, Skibitskyi said.

He added that 10 large cargo flights had landed at the Baltimore airfield in the Voronezh area, potentially carrying North Korean missiles.

Newer versions of North Korean missiles reportedly have a range of up to 800 kilometers. However, Skibitskyi said they remain highly inaccurate and can miss their intended targets by between 15 and 19 kilometers.

He said North Korea was using missile launches against Ukraine to improve the accuracy and payload capacity of its weapons.

North Korea seeks Russian air defense technology

In exchange for supplying Russia with troops and weapons, North Korea has sought Russian air defense technology, according to Skibitskyi.

He said Pyongyang had requested Russia’s S-400 air defense system and had already received a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system.

Skibitskyi’s assessment suggests that North Korea’s role in Russia’s war effort is expanding beyond conventional troops and ammunition to include drone warfare, missile operations and technical cooperation.

Why North Korean troops are fighting for Russia

North Korea began sending troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine in October 2024, when its forces were deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast to help Moscow repel a Ukrainian incursion.

North Korea officially acknowledged in April 2025 that its soldiers were fighting alongside Russian forces. The initial deployment was estimated at around 10,000 troops, many of whom suffered significant casualties during fighting in Kursk Oblast.

Since then, North Korean troops have continued to be deployed or rotated through Russia. Ukrainian military intelligence estimates that around 25,000 North Korean troops have served in Russia so far, including the latest contingent of approximately 8,500.

The deployment is part of growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow under a mutual defense treaty signed in 2024. Ukrainian intelligence says the arrangement gives North Korean troops experience in modern drone warfare while providing Pyongyang with access to Russian military technology.