What's happened
As of July 2025, North Korea has significantly expanded its military support for Russia's war in Ukraine, deploying over 10,000 troops and sending millions of artillery shells to the Russian front, particularly in the Kursk region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's recent visit to Pyongyang highlights growing strategic cooperation, including a mutual defense pact and potential Russian military technology transfers to North Korea, raising regional security concerns.
What's behind the headline?
Strategic Alliance Strengthening
North Korea's deployment of thousands of troops and millions of artillery shells to Russia represents a significant deepening of military cooperation between two heavily sanctioned states. This alliance is not merely transactional but strategic, with Russia gaining critical manpower and munitions amid heavy losses, while North Korea acquires battlefield experience and access to advanced Russian military technology.
Regional and Global Implications
The partnership challenges regional security dynamics in East Asia and Europe. Russia's reliance on North Korean troops and supplies underscores Moscow's strained military capacity in Ukraine. Meanwhile, North Korea's enhanced military capabilities, potentially including missile and nuclear technology transfers from Russia, escalate threats to the US, South Korea, and Japan.
Political Messaging and Propaganda
Both nations use this alliance to project strength and solidarity against Western pressure. North Korea's public mourning of fallen soldiers and Lavrov's praise of their 'heroic' efforts serve domestic propaganda purposes, reinforcing regime legitimacy and military resolve.
Forecast and Consequences
This alliance will likely persist and deepen, with North Korea possibly increasing troop deployments and Russia continuing technology transfers. The US, South Korea, and Japan will intensify military cooperation and deterrence efforts, including joint exercises. The risk of escalation in both the Ukraine conflict and the Korean Peninsula remains high, with broader geopolitical ramifications.
Impact on Readers
While geographically distant, this alliance affects global security and economic stability. Increased military tensions may influence energy markets, defense spending, and diplomatic relations worldwide. Understanding this evolving partnership is crucial for anticipating shifts in international power balances.
What the papers say
Al Jazeera's Niko Vorobyov details the deployment of approximately 15,000 North Korean troops to Russia's Kursk region, highlighting their adaptation to modern warfare and Russia's acknowledgment of their 'solidarity' and 'true comradeship.' The report emphasizes the strategic partnership formalized in June 2024, including mutual defense clauses and economic cooperation such as port modernization.
The New York Post cites South Korea's Defense Intelligence Agency, revealing North Korea's shipment of over 12 million artillery shells to Russia, accounting for up to 40% of Moscow's ammunition needs. Ukrainian military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov confirms North Korea's provision of ballistic missiles and artillery systems, while Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov affirms Pyongyang's 'clear support' for Russia's war effort.
Bloomberg's Jon Herskovitz underscores the mutual benefits: Russia gains manpower and munitions, while North Korea receives military aid and battlefield experience, enhancing its threat profile in East Asia. The Japan Times and South China Morning Post report on Lavrov's July 2025 visit to Pyongyang, where Kim Jong Un pledged 'unconditional support' and discussed expanding troop deployments and reconstruction assistance in Kursk.
Contrasting reports from Business Insider UK and The Japan Times note discrepancies in troop deployment figures, with Ukrainian intelligence denying plans to triple North Korean forces to 30,000, suggesting a more modest increase involving military engineers and construction workers.
The Independent and South China Morning Post highlight concerns from South Korea, the US, and Japan about Russia potentially transferring sensitive military technology to North Korea, which could enhance Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. Joint military exercises by these allies aim to deter further escalation.
Overall, the sources collectively portray a rapidly evolving military alliance with significant implications for regional and global security, underscored by high-level dip
How we got here
North Korea and Russia, both under heavy international sanctions, have strengthened ties since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Pyongyang has sent troops and military supplies to support Moscow, formalizing their alliance with a mutual defense treaty signed in June 2024. This partnership marks a shift from North Korea's historical isolation and reflects shared geopolitical interests against Western influence.
Go deeper
- How many troops has North Korea sent to support Russia in Ukraine?
- What military aid is North Korea providing to Russia?
- What are the regional security implications of the Russia-North Korea alliance?
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North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Kim Jong-un is a North Korean politician who has been the supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012.
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea.
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