North Korea boosts support for Russia to include drone operators, Ukraine says
Ukraine says 8,500 new North Korean personnel include 400 drone operators and 1,000 engineers, expanding Russia’s long-range strike support.
- Major General Vadym Skibitskiy, Deputy Head of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, confirmed that 8,500 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia, including 400 drone operators capable of attacking targets inside Ukraine.
- North Korea signed a mutual defense pact with Russia two years ago and has supported Moscow's military operations since late 2024, with state media regularly showing troops training inside Russia.
- An estimated 10,000 North Korean soldiers deployed in April 2025 suffered significant casualties using suicidal tactics to rush Ukrainian positions; wounded troops returned home to train colleagues in drone warfare.
- President Vladimir Putin may request up to 50,000 additional North Korean troops in September, potentially straining Ukraine's already depleted air defense capabilities as supplies of U.S. Patriot interceptors near exhaustion.
- Kim Yo Jong denied reports of further mass deployments as "groundless," while NATO tensions rise after President Donald Trump announced scaled-down military drills with South Korea to avoid antagonizing North Korea.
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Putin turns Kim’s troops into new drone force for Ukraine? 400 N. Korean UAV operators reach Russia
North Korea has reportedly deployed about 400 drone operators to Russia as part of an estimated 8,500-strong military contingent, deepening Pyongyang’s role in Moscow’s war effort. Ukrainian military intelligence says most of the force is in Russia’s Kursk region and includes roughly 1,000 engineers and deminers; the drone teams could conduct reconnaissance and strike missions against Ukraine from Russian territory. The claims have not been inde…
Tens of thousands of North Korean troops are once again threatening to move into Ukraine. According to a senior Ukrainian intelligence official, a new wave of North Korean troops, 8,500 of whom are already stationed in Russia, is part of a drone unit that could attack targets in Ukraine, reports the American broadcaster CNN.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, 8,500 North Korean soldiers were deployed in the Kursk region of Russia. In total, Pyongyang would be preparing to send 50,000 men. "They should be forced to hold the rear positions," sums up Gwendoline Debono, special envoy to Ukraine. - Ukraine: demanded by Putin, soon 50,000 North Korean soldiers "should be forced to hold the rear positions" Russian (International).
Ukraine can now be threatened by another type of ballistics, the North Korean KN-30. The Russian Federation has already deployed these missiles in the Voronezh region.
The Russian troops attacked the largest Krivogo Rog, with 16 dead known; North Korea sent another 8,500 military personnel to Russia, including drone operators. Respondent.net highlights the main events of yesterday.
Claims have emerged that the size of the North Korean military currently deployed in Russia amounts to 8,500 troops. Vadym Skivitsky, Deputy Director of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Defense Intelligence (HUR), stated on CNN on the 21st (local time) that approximately 8,500 North Korean troops are stationed in Russia. He also added that they are primarily stationed in the Kursk region of Russia. According to Deputy Director Skivitsky's claims, t…
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