Among the North Korean military personnel sent to Russia are three generals and 500 officers, and the total number of DPRK troops on Russian territory is approximately 11,000, the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, told The Economist.
According to him, about 2,600 people will be deployed to the battlefield in the Kursk Region by the end of October. In addition, since the end of 2022, Moscow has received 2.8 million rounds of ammunition a year from Pyongyang, just 100,000 less than its own production of 1.9 million.
And since the end of 2023, the DPRK has also supplied a certain number of ballistic missiles, the launchers for which are serviced by its personnel. The DPRK's supplies to Russia are not charitable: it receives money in return.
"Russia is helping North Korea to circumvent sanctions and 'strengthen' its nuclear capabilities. In particular, according to him, it is transferring some technologies for low-yield tactical nuclear weapons and submarine launch systems. However, there is no independent confirmation of this alarming claim," the journalists said.
In addition, Russia is trying to involve other countries in the war. Recently, its defence minister met with officials in China to discuss increased military cooperation. Iran continues to supply Russia with drones.
We have partners, they have allies.
— Kyrylo Budanov
DPRK's participation in the war against Ukraine
In September, the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Pyongyang posed the most problems for Ukraine among Moscow's allies. North Korea provides Russia with incomparable assistance.
On 14 October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that North Korea had actually joined the war against Ukraine.
On 16 October, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had received not only weapons from the DPRK, but also people for the army and work at its factories.
According to LB.ua, as of September, about 10,000 soldiers from the DPRK were stationed at four Russian training grounds. There was no confirmed information that they had already been deployed to fight.
On 17 October, Zelenskyy said that North Korean officers were already in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.
According to Budanov, about 11,000 North Korean troops are training in eastern Russia to take part in a war against Ukraine. They will be ready to be sent to war by November.