The war in Ukraine is going through a critical phase marked by the growing internationalization of the conflict. The government has denounced a new escalation of Russian attacks sustained by military support from North Korea. According to publication this strategic alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, which began to be forged in the fall of 2024, has reached an unprecedented level of involvement at the beginning of 2026.
The presence of North Korean soldiers in European territory is no longer a hypothesis, but an operational reality. It is estimated that around 11,000 Kim Jong-un soldiers were originally deployed to the Kursk regionin western Russia, with the aim of helping the to recover the ground lost after the Ukrainian incursions.
However, for the top brass in kyiv, the greatest threat does not lie solely in the number of foreign troops.
Pyongyang’s arsenal: the real threat
Yehor Cherniev, vice-president of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on national security, has been forceful in analyzing the situation: “North Korea’s biggest problem is not its soldiers, but its artillery shells.”
And Asian support has translated into the shipment of millions of artillery shells and, vital supplies for Russia to maintain its ‘rain of fire’ constant on Ukrainian positions.
In addition to conventional weaponry, Pyongyang has provided at least 100 ballistic missiles and anti-tank weapons that have reconfigured the balance of forces on the front.
Right now, North Korean troops continue positioned at strategic points in the Kursk region, from where they launch direct attacks against Ukrainian border communities. This collaboration is not just an exchange of supplies; For North Korea, the Ukrainian front has become a real training ground for modern warfare.
Drones and technology: Kim Jong-un’s laboratory
The North Korean tactics includes a constant rotation of its troops, maintaining a average of 3,000 uniformed personnel on the ground who alternate periodically.
This system allows soldiers to gain direct experience in the dynamics of a technological conflict, learning the use of drones and electronic warfare systems that they then export back to their country to form their own squads. Cherniev maintains that, beyond aid to Putin, Pyongyang seeks to modernize its military under the live fire of the invasion.
A devastating human cost
Despite tactical advances, the price in human lives is very high. Kim Jong-un himself has come to recognize that his nation has suffered on Russian soil.
For its part, the data from the British Ministry of Defense are shocking: the Kremlin would have accumulated nearly 1.2 million casualties since the beginning of the invasion almost four years ago, of which more than 400,000 were produced only last year 2025. A constant drain that, far from stopping, is now feeding on the North Korean arsenal.
