North Korean Soldiers on the Russian–Ukrainian Front

Abstract

North Korea (DPRK) has been demonstratively siding with Russia since the outbreak of the Russian–Ukrainian war. It recognised the independent statehood of puppet states established in the breakaway Ukrainian territories, and then supported the aggression against Ukraine with artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles. This trend escalated further in the fall of 2024 when the DPRK sent regular military units to the Kursk region of Russia, where they immediately joined the fighting. The article presents the information that has become available about the combat value of North Korean troops; as well as the information that comes from Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine. Furthermore, the article outlines the motivations of the Pyongyang regime, in the interests of which their decision-makers undertook to support the ongoing and uncertain military operations in the Eastern European region.