This is the amount that could be equivalent to almost half of this isolated country's annual GDP.
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Deliveries of North Korean weapons to the Ukrainian front have been ongoing almost since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, but it was the treaty on comprehensive partnership between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed in the summer of 2024 that gave this cooperation a new dimension. Pyongyang has ceased to be just a supplier of equipment and has become an active participant in the conflict.
Army for export
The presence of North Korean soldiers on the Ukrainian front is no longer just speculation. According to the findings of South Korean intelligence, In February, approximately 10,000 people took part in the fighting directly. soldiers from North Koreaand the remaining number supported Russian activities behind the lines as drone operators and engineers.
However, the price of this collaboration is high – it is estimated that So far, about 6,000 have been killed or injured. military from North Korea. Despite this, Pyongyang plans to send an additional 30,000. soldiers, seeing it as a huge opportunity for profit.
Gigantic arms deliveries to Russia
The sheer value of the equipment transferred to Russia in 2025 alone is impressive. South Korean intelligence estimates put the amounts in the order of magnitude from USD 7 to nearly USD 14 billion. Russian warehouses receive ammunition for rocket and barrel artillery as well as short-range ballistic missiles.
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In return, Pyongyang receives not only cash, but above all materials and technologies necessary to develop its own arms production and other strategic raw materials.
Economic transformation under the cover of war
For a country whose GDP is estimated at USD 12-26 billion, the inflow of such huge funds and technologies is an unprecedented event.. Experts indicate that the war in Ukraine may paradoxically become a driving force for the North Korean economy.
— Increasing supplies to Russia may bring long-term changes to North Korea's economy and its technological potential, says South Korean expert Nam Jin-wook, quoted by Nikkei Asia.
