Executive Summary

The increasing commitment of North Korean troops in active fighting and supporting roles in Russia’s campaign in Ukraine will lead to the modernization of infantry formations and the scaling of drone warfare capabilities in Pyongyang’s Army. Furthermore, the increasing publicity through which the Kim regime has pledged its support and highlighted its role in the Russo-Ukrainian war will likely have positive diplomatic implications for North Korea’s international commitments. For example, this could be seen with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Late August 2025 brought public statements from Kim Jong Un commemorating the fallen troops—primarily North Korean SOF—in Ukraine and pledging further support to Russia. Late August also saw a rare, 19-minute propaganda video exploring the North Korean presence in Russia surface on social media. In the backdrop, security agreements between the two nations and technological collaboration create a further basis for closer ties. As of August, Ukrainian intelligence officials assessed there are approximately 30,000 North Korean troops in Russia.