CNN: North Korea plans to send up to 30,000 troops to support Russian forces

Ukrainian intelligence officials have revealed that North Korea is preparing to significantly increase its military support for Russia by deploying an additional 25,000 to 30,000 troops to bolster Moscow’s forces on the front lines with Ukraine. This planned reinforcement would triple the number of North Korean soldiers currently involved in the conflict.

According to an intelligence assessment reviewed by CNN, these troops are expected to arrive in Russia within the coming months. They will join the roughly 11,000 North Korean soldiers already sent last November, who played a key role in repelling Ukraine’s counteroffensive in Russia’s Kursk region. Western officials estimate that around 4,000 of those troops were either killed or wounded during the deployment, yet Pyongyang’s military cooperation with Moscow has continued to deepen.

The Ukrainian report states that Russia’s defence ministry is equipped to provide the necessary weapons, equipment, and ammunition, aiming to integrate North Korean forces more closely with Russian combat units. The assessment notes a “great possibility” that these troops will be deployed in combat operations within Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, particularly to reinforce Russian contingents during upcoming large-scale offensives.

The document also points to evidence that Russian military aircraft are being modified to transport personnel, reflecting the massive logistical effort required to move tens of thousands of foreign troops across Siberia, which shares a border with North Korea.

Satellite imagery analysed by CNN shows signs of preparations for the new deployment, including the arrival of a ship associated with last year’s troop movements at a Russian port, as well as cargo aircraft activity at North Korea’s Sunan airport.

North Korea’s initial secret deployment of 11,000 troops to Russia took place in fall 2024, with President Vladimir Putin only confirming the presence of these forces publicly in late April 2025.

Additional troop movements are suggested by flight patterns and satellite images. On June 4, imagery from Sunan airport revealed cargo planes, likely IL-76 models—the same aircraft used last year—taxiing on the runway. While the exact purpose of these transports is not confirmed, analysts view these patterns as consistent with previous deployments.

This expected troop increase marks a major escalation in North Korea’s role in the conflict and signals Kim Jong Un’s intensifying support for Moscow. North Korean state media showed Kim inspecting special forces on May 14, fueling speculation that the visit was linked to upcoming deployments.

This revelation comes as part of a comprehensive CNN investigation into North Korea’s expanding involvement in Russia’s war effort.

Ukrainian intelligence has also documented 82 ballistic missile strikes by North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 missiles, including a January 2024 attack that killed 11 civilians in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. The missiles saw heavy use again in February 2025.

CNN has obtained translated North Korean artillery training manuals, indicating growing interoperability between the Russian and North Korean militaries. This development coincides with increased social media footage showing North Korean artillery at the front lines.

A recent report from 11 United Nations member states confirmed that North Korea supplied at least 100 ballistic missiles and 9 million artillery shells to Russia in 2024. Similarly, South Korean military sources stated in March that an additional 3,000 North Korean troops arrived in Russia earlier this year.

Analysts like Town from the Stimson Centre suggest Pyongyang views its military assistance as an investment in long-term benefits, explaining, “The more ‘blood debt’ there is between them, the more North Korea will benefit in the long run, even if they are making sacrifices in the short term.”

By Tamilla Hasanova