North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will dispatch another 6,000 personnel to Russia’s Kursk region, deepening Pyongyang’s wartime alliance with Moscow, Russian state media reported.
According to Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, the deployment includes 1,000 sappers to help demine the area and 5,000 construction workers to rebuild infrastructure damaged during Ukraine’s 2024 offensive. Shoigu has visited Pyongyang three times in recent months.
🎥#WATCH | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a meeting on June 17 with Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, in Pyongyang, according to state media. pic.twitter.com/o5oKjgFRsT
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) June 18, 2025
The move follows North Korea’s previous deployment of 12,000 troops, thousands of whom reportedly died or were wounded. Ukraine and the UK estimate over 6,000 North Korean casualties.
Kim’s support has secured cash, economic aid, and military technology from Russia. Analysts say Pyongyang trades manpower for money and expertise.
Shoigu said the two nations will memorialize fallen North Korean troops. South Korea’s foreign ministry said it is monitoring the developments closely.
North Korean state media confirmed Kim approved the new plans, though no timeline has been set.
