Russia Acknowledges North Korea’s Involvement in the War Against Ukraine for the First Time

Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, has for the first time acknowledged the participation of North Korean military personnel in the battles against the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kursk region.

Russian media reported on this, citing a report from the Chief of the General Staff to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I would like to specifically highlight the participation of the military personnel of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the liberation of the border areas of the Kursk region, who, in accordance with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between our countries, provided significant assistance in the defeat of the encircled Ukrainian Armed Forces group,” the Chief of the General Staff emphasized.

North Korean servicemen “demonstrated high professionalism during the repulsion of the Ukrainian invasion,” he concluded.

Until now, both Russia and North Korea had denied the involvement of North Korean military personnel, despite the numerous videos showing their participation in the fighting and the presence of North Korean prisoners of war. To hide this, fake military ID cards were created, disguising them as members of other ethnic groups in Russia, such as the Tuvans.

In January, it was reported that families of fallen North Korean soldiers began receiving official death certificates for their loved ones, along with a request from the North Korean government to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

“On December 18, my mother and I received a notice from the city of Kechon’s party committee inviting us to a provincial party event. When we arrived in Pyongsong, we were presented with the death certificate of my younger brother, who had been serving in the special forces and was killed in action,” an anonymous source shared.

According to the source, the event was told that the soldiers were killed during “sacred military exercises on which the honor of the Motherland depended.”

North Korea’s Involvement in the War Against Ukraine

The first reports of North Korean soldiers being involved in battles in the Kursk region came in December 2024.

“Today, there is preliminary information that the Russians have started using North Korean soldiers in assaults,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported at the time.

Ukrainian soldiers described the Koreans as dangerous opponents — resilient, with strong physical training and moral endurance.

“Psychological resilience: imagine them capturing our attack drones under live fire. One draws attention while the other, from an ambush, takes down the drone with precise shots. Just think about the level of stress resistance required,” the military stated.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of April 26, the total losses of the DPRK army in the Kursk sector amounted to more than four and a half thousand killed and wounded. According to estimates, the total contingent of the DPRK military in Russia is about 12 thousand troops, who are replenished as they suffer losses due to the fighting.