“Blood, life and death in the trenches.” North Korea is entering the next phase of operations in Ukraine. Kim Jong Un's soldiers are becoming the support of Putin's army
“The Wall Street Journal”, citing the Ukrainian intelligence services, reports that Kim's soldiers are now tasked with piloting reconnaissance drones, clearing mines and conducting artillery strikes. In this way, North Korean units become more dangerous to Ukrainian defense.
Early in their mission, North Korean soldiers died en masse in “meat attacks” — suicide attacks on Ukrainian positions. Now they are clearly being given more responsibility. This is particularly important on one critical section of the front.
“In January 2026, a group of North Korean soldiers is in the Kursk Oblast [w Rosji]from where they carry out attacks on Ukrainian border communes,” the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR) reported last week.
North Korean soldiers stationed in the Kursk Oblast are firing artillery into Ukraine. They also use reconnaissance drones to gather data on targets and correct their attacks. Apparently they are using a technique they learned from the Russians.
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According to the South Korean secret services, approximately 15,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to war in Ukraine. In addition, there is a huge amount of ammunition and artillery transferred by the North Korean regime to Putin's army. North Korean soldiers played a role in fighting Ukrainian soldiers in the part of the Kursk region they occupied. After the Ukrainians withdrew from Russian territory, North Korean soldiers remained there to carry out further attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Experts believe that Kim Jong Un receives money, military equipment and security guarantees from Moscow in return. For the internationally isolated regime, close cooperation with Russia, now also in the field of new agreements, means a chance to acquire important combat technologies. Of particular importance for North Korea are, among others: means of delivering nuclear weapons as the regime works intensively to expand its nuclear arsenal.
Putin is strengthening his relationship with Kim Jong Un
Okay. 3,000 of Kim Jong Un's soldiers were about to return to their homeland. However, there is no sign of a complete withdrawal of North Korean troops from the front in Ukraine. Apparently they are being replaced by new units. For the families of soldiers killed in Ukraine, the regime built a special settlement in the capital, Pyongyang. The leader of North Korea himself attended the inauguration ceremony of this complex.
North Korean soldiers returning from the front in Ukraine are considered seasoned veterans. Their task is to transfer experience from the front, provide tactical training and acquire knowledge about combat operations on the Ukrainian front.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong UnKremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images / Contributor / Getty Images
Kim Jong Un is arming his army using combat knowledge acquired by his soldiers in Europe. “I think North Korea is primarily about gaining experience in modern warfare and using it in its army,” Yehor Chernev, vice-chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's defense committee and head of Ukraine's parliamentary delegation to NATO, said in an interview with Business Insider.
At the turn of the year, Kim sent a clear message to Moscow. In his New Year's greeting to Putin, he praised the “special relations” between the two countries. They became even stronger by sharing “blood, life and death in the same trenches.” Now there will apparently be further changes on the front, which poses another challenge for Ukraine.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
