A Kremlin propagandist on Russian state TV made a rare admission that North Korean troops are involved in the war with Ukraine, suggesting these soldiers sustained heavy losses and that a new batch of reinforcements is expected.
Newsweek reached out to Russia’s foreign ministry and the North Korean embassy in China with written requests for comment.
Why It Matters
South Korean and U.S. officials estimate that North Korea has sent at least 11,000 troops to support Russia, deployed in the border region of Kursk, where Kremlin forces have struggled to contain a surprise Ukrainian counteroffensive since August.
Kyiv estimates that around 4,000—roughly one-third—of the North Korean troops have been killed or injured, though this figure remains unverified. Reports last month suggested a withdrawal from the front lines, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has since stated a number have returned.
Moscow and Pyongyang have not publicly acknowledged that North Korean forces are on the ground.
What to Know
In a recent episode of 60 Minutes, a program on Russian state-owned TV channel Russia-1, political analyst and guest Dmitry Abzalov made a surprising admission about the North Korean boots on the ground.
Kim Jong Un (center) meets soldiers who took part in training in North Korea on March 13, 2024.
Kim Jong Un (center) meets soldiers who took part in training in North Korea on March 13, 2024.
Associated Press
“North Korean soldiers who fought—we ran out of them, and the next batch is coming within a month,” he said, according to an English translation posted to X by Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs.
“There are no more North Korean troops as of now,” he went on.
When Olga Skabeyeva expressed surprise, noting: “It’s just that state media didn’t report it,” Abzalov likened the situation to Russia’s initial denial in 2022 of using Iranian-made suicide drones in Ukraine.
What People Are Saying
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, wrote on X:
“Saying ‘we ran out of them’ in such a cavalier manner as if the troops are simply expendable consumables.”
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank said in a February 6 article:
“Although North Korean soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine war have not been highly effective, they are learning. Moreover, the war has introduced them to drone warfare. Pyongyang can look forward to this experience improving the combat power of its forces in its own theatre of potential conflict, the peninsula.”
What’s Next?
How many more soldiers Kim Jong Un will contribute to Russia’s war remains uncertain, but South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff expect him to send additional troops and equipment.
Meanwhile, North Korea and Russia will begin joint drone production this year, with Moscow providing technical assistance in exchange for Pyongyang’s military support, Japan’s NHK reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with Russia-North Korea relations.
