Ukraine Claims Russia Preparing to Deploy 30,000 North Korean Troops as Military Ties Deepen

Kyiv : Ukraine says Russia is preparing to bring in as many as 30,000 additional North Korean troops to reinforce its military campaign, a move that would mark a significant expansion of Pyongyang's direct involvement in the war.

Ukrainian officials say the reinforcements would bolster Russian forces as fighting continues across multiple front lines. The claim has not been independently verified, and neither Russia nor North Korea has officially confirmed the reported troop increase.

The reported plan follows a steady deepening of military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. North Korea and Russia have publicly highlighted their strategic partnership, while North Korean troops have previously been reported to support Russian operations. President Vladimir Putin recently thanked Pyongyang for its military support in the war.

Should the deployment go ahead, security analysts say it would rank among the most significant foreign troop contributions to the conflict since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — adding to Russian manpower while further internationalizing the war.

Western governments have repeatedly accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles, and military equipment, in addition to personnel. Moscow and Pyongyang, for their part, have defended the growing cooperation as part of their bilateral strategic partnership.

The claim comes amid intensified fighting and continued Russian offensives across eastern and southern Ukraine. Kyiv has warned that a deeper North Korean presence could prolong the conflict and complicate diplomatic efforts to end the war.

As of publication, there has been no independent confirmation of the reported plan to deploy 30,000 additional North Korean troops, and officials in Moscow and Pyongyang have not publicly responded to the latest Ukrainian allegation.