New DPRK soldiers appeared in Kursk region
27 February 2025 09:25
North Korea has sent additional troops to Russia, but the size of the contingent is not yet known. Reuters reported this with reference to the South Korean intelligence agency, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The additional troops were sent to the battlefields in the Kursk region of Russia, the report said.
North Korea had previously deployed more than 11,000 troops there. Ukraine and Western experts claim that Russian forces are also using North Korean weapons.
North Korea has not officially recognized its military support for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
Military power of the DPRK
North Korea’s army is one of the largest in the world, with about 1.2 million active military personnel and, according to various estimates, 560,000 to 7.7 million reservists.
The DPRK Air Force has between 730 and 940 combat aircraft, most of which are outdated Soviet-made models. However, they also have a number of more modern MiG-29 fighters.
The North Korean navy has between 500 and 780 ships, including submarines, frigates, corvettes, and missile boats. Most of these vessels are small and designed for coastal defense.
The country has a significant arsenal of ballistic missiles of various ranges, including intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. North Korea is also developing submarine-launched missiles.
The DPRK’s nuclear program is a matter of international concern. The country has conducted several nuclear tests and, according to experts, may have 20 to 60 nuclear warheads.
North Korea has large stockpiles of chemical weapons and possibly biological weapons, making it a potentially dangerous actor in the region.
Despite its large size, the North Korean army suffers from a lack of modern equipment and technology. Many of its weapons are outdated and in need of modernization.
The country has a powerful special forces, which, according to some estimates, number about 200,000 elite soldiers trained for sabotage operations.
North Korea is investing significant resources in the development of cyber forces that are capable of conducting cyber attacks and espionage operations.
Economic sanctions and the country’s isolation limit its ability to modernize its armed forces, but the DPRK continues to prioritize military spending at the expense of other sectors of the economy.
Overall, North Korea’s military power is based on quantity rather than quality, but its nuclear arsenal and missile program make it a serious player in regional and global security.
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Cooperation between the DPRK and Russia
on June 19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his first visit to North Korea in 24 years. During this visit, he signed an agreement on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. After the signing, Putin noted that this agreement provides for assistance in case of aggression against one of the parties. The agreement was ratified by the parliaments of both countries. It explicitly provides for military assistance:
“If one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack by any state or several states and thus finds itself in a state of war, the other party will immediately provide military and other assistance by all means at its disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
After the visit, it became known that the DPRK supplies Russia with artillery shells, which it uses in the war against Ukraine. The researchers estimated their number to be up to 3 million, which at one point in time accounted for half of all the shells that Russia fired against Ukraine.
