Kim Honors North Korean Troops Deployed to Ukraine Amid Deepening Ties with Russia and China

On September 9, during the 78th anniversary of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s founding, Kim Jong Un thanked workers and soldiers and extended “special gratitude and respect” to commanders and soldiers “participating in overseas military operations,” understood to refer to North Korean forces fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. KCNA highlighted the remarks as a rare public acknowledgment of the deployment.

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North Korea began sending troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine in late 2024. The deployment was initially concealed but has since been incorporated into official propaganda, culminating in the founding-day honor. In April, Kim inaugurated a memorial museum in Pyongyang for troops killed in Russia’s Kursk region, an event attended by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.

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• Troop estimate: 14,000-15,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to fight with Russian forces since late 2024, according to Western and South Korean officials.

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• Casualties: South Korea’s National Intelligence Service estimated in February 2026 that around 6,000 of those soldiers had been killed or wounded.

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• Ammunition shipments: South Korean assessments place North Korean artillery deliveries at more than 15 million rounds by early 2026, accounting for an estimated 25 %-40 % of Russia’s artillery needs, plus deliveries of over 100 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles, hundreds of artillery systems, and short-range air-defense missiles, including at least one Pantsir system and electronic-warfare equipment.

Kim Jong Un Praises North Korean Troops Fighting for Russia

• Future deployment: South Korea’s Defence Ministry reported in late August that Pyongyang was preparing for an additional troop deployment, though no imminent movement was evident.

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Analyst Jeong Yu-seok of the Korea Institute for National Unification observed that “North Korea, having secured China and Russia as its backers amid confrontation between rival blocs, appears to be seeking to fully capitalize on its strategic position,” highlighting the regime’s use of the Ukraine war to gain technology, assistance, and diplomatic leverage.

Xi, Putin underscore deepening ties with North Korea in anniversary messages to Kim

KCNA’s coverage and Kim’s speech did not explicitly name Russia or Ukraine, leaving the exact scope of the “overseas military operations” ambiguous for domestic audiences. While intelligence assessments detail extensive ammunition transfers, precise quantities of missiles and other systems remain unverified, and the timing of any further troop deployment remains uncertain beyond the August assessment that no imminent movement was observed.

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• “This fully conforms to the interests of the peoples of the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and will contribute to ensuring regional security and establishing a new, more just and multipolarized world order,” — Vladimir Putin, russian president

Xi, Putin underscore deepening ties with North Korea in anniversary messages to Kim

• “North Korea, having secured China and Russia as its backers amid confrontation between rival blocs, appears to be seeking to fully capitalize on its strategic position,” — Jeong Yu-seok

Xi, Putin underscore deepening ties with North Korea in anniversary messages to Kim