North Korea Loses 3,000 Soldiers in Ukraine, Yet Keeps Sending Troops to Support Russia’s War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in Russia’s Kursk region. They began attacking Ukrainian positions in December 2024 and quickly suffered heavy losses: initially, there were reports of dozens killed and hundreds wounded, and later, the number of casualties surpassed a thousand.

We have previously detailed the strange tactics employed by North Korean soldiers: essentially, without any protection or strategy, the troops ran across open terrain, falling victim to FPV drones and artillery fire.

These losses are significant, making up roughly 25% of the force North Korea sent to Ukraine. Reports indicate that between 11,000 and 13,000 North Korean soldiers, trained in Russia, were deployed to the Kursk region. In contrast, Russia is losing around 2,000 soldiers daily across the entire front. However, North Korean casualties are confined to the Kursk region, where their forces are stationed.

More troops to come

South Korean intelligence reported that despite the heavy losses, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to send additional troops to Russia. The exact size of this new force remains unknown. North Korea also plans to rotate the troops already deployed on the front lines.

All of this is being done to give Kim Jong Un’s army real-world combat experience. Earlier, North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia to observe the use of NK-23 ballistic missiles against Ukraine and to study artillery tactics.

Now, North Korea’s goal is to gain practical experience in infantry warfare, given the challenges of modern warfare, especially the use of FPV drones, against which their soldiers have proven defenseless. What is clear is Kim Jong Un’s desire to deepen North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The New York Times reports that it is not the Kremlin but Pyongyang that has pushed to send its forces to war to acquire real combat skills.

More weapons to come

The Russian army’s real need is artillery. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has lost thousands of artillery systems, and its domestic production, including Soviet-era stockpiles, is insufficient. Due to sanctions, Russia lacks access to the high-precision machinery it would need to produce enough artillery pieces, and its production capacity is therefore limited. As a result, North Korea has become a key partner in meeting this demand.

We have previously discussed the deadly North Korean M1991 artillery system, which features a 240mm caliber gun. For comparison, Ukraine uses 155mm caliber artillery, while Russia uses 152mm. The M1991 is designed to destroy cities, as its range is sufficient to strike South Korea’s capital, Seoul, from North Korea.

Pyongyang is also sending millions of artillery and mortar shells to Russia. The Wall Street Journal reports that 60% of the ammunition being transported by rail currently originates in North Korea. These shipments are expected to increase as Kim Jong Un, having received payments from the Kremlin for these supplies, is ramping up his military production. Up to 200 North Korean factories could be mobilized to meet Russia’s war needs.

Furthermore, Pyongyang is expanding its range of weapons, including the production of FPV drones and other types of drones, which will be supplied to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.

North Korea has joined Russia to gain firsthand warfighting experience. But its ambitions go beyond that. Moscow is not only sending billions of dollars but also providing Pyongyang with missile technologies, information to develop its own aviation, assistance in building a submarine fleet, and even nuclear technologies. The pressing question is: what does North Korea plan to do with these advancements?