North Korea is rumored to be sending an additional 30,000 troops to Russia to support its ongoing war in Ukraine, signaling a significant escalation in the military cooperation between the two countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Saturday, July 26th, 2026, that preparations have been underway since last month in Russia’s Voronezh region to receive these troops. Zelensky also claimed that Pyongyang plans to send additional missile launchers to bolster Moscow’s campaign.
Oh Gyeong-seob, a North Korea-focused political scientist and senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, described the claim as "quite plausible," characterizing the arrangement as a "win-win deal for both countries." He explained that North Korea provides Russia with a steady stream of inexpensive frontline soldiers, offering Moscow a cost-effective recruitment method, while Pyongyang benefits by receiving money and military technology in return.
This development follows the earlier deployment of an estimated 14,000 North Korean soldiers and thousands of military engineers to Russia’s Kursk region in late 2024 to support Moscow’s war effort.
If confirmed, the new troop deployment would mark a major escalation of North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict and a deepening of defense ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.
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