North Korea is preparing to send more troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, highlighting deepening military ties between the two nations. Footage in Pyongyang showed Kim Jong Un mourning North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region, where they participated in heavy battles against Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Analysts note that North Korea has become one of Russia’s most critical allies, supplying ammunition and heavy weapons, with its troops praised as disciplined and adaptable despite limited modern combat experience. The growing alliance underscores strengthening defense cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Pyongyang is reportedly preparing to send thousands more troops to support Russia, signaling deepening ties between the two nations amid the ongoing war.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen weeping as he leaned over the coffin of a flag-draped soldier—one of about six laid out in a row—killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
Images of Kim mourning were displayed during a gala performance at a Pyongyang theatre late last month, held to mark the anniversary of the mutual defense pact signed between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While Ukraine’s NATO allies have avoided deploying troops on the ground, North Korean fighters have taken part in intense battles around the Kursk region in western Russia, an area affected by a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“North Korea is now a more critical ally to Russia than either Iran or China,” said Oleg Ignatov, senior Russia analyst at Crisis Group.
He noted that North Korea has been supplying Russia with ammunition and certain types of heavy weaponry. “Russian sources describe North Korean soldiers as professional and disciplined. Although they initially lacked modern combat experience—particularly in drone warfare—they adapted quickly during the Kursk operation.”
There are growing indications that the Russia–North Korea alliance is continuing to strengthen.
