North Korea Sent Missiles and Troops to Aid Russia in Ukraine War
According to a new report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), North Korea transferred over 100 Hwasong-11A ballistic missiles and approximately nine million rounds of ammunition to Russia between September 2023 and December 2024. These munitions were reportedly used by Russian forces to strike key Ukrainian cities including Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, contributing to widespread civilian infrastructure damage. The report, backed by intelligence from 11 nations, marks the most extensive confirmation yet of Pyongyang’s direct military support to Moscow during the ongoing Ukraine war.
Deployment of 14,000 North Korean Troops to Russian Frontlines
The report further reveals that around 14,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to aid Russian military operations. These forces, including elite combat units, are believed to have participated in Russian operations near the Kursk region. This level of military involvement—formally acknowledged by both North Korea and Russia—signals a major escalation in their bilateral military partnership and a significant new factor in the dynamics of the Ukraine conflict.
Russia Offers Air Defense and Technology in Exchange
In return for North Korea’s military support, Russia has provided advanced military hardware, including at least one Pantsir air defense system and electronic warfare capabilities. Moscow is also believed to have shared classified performance data on missile strikes to assist North Korea in refining its own missile programs. This two-way arms cooperation is deepening strategic ties between two heavily sanctioned regimes and has implications for global military technology proliferation.
UN Sanctions Violated, Global Concerns Rise
The extensive military trade between North Korea and Russia directly violates several United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit arms transfers involving North Korea. The MSMT report underscores the alarming scope of these violations and has prompted renewed calls within the UN and among Western allies for stricter monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. Analysts warn that this growing axis between Moscow and Pyongyang could complicate global efforts to isolate both regimes and escalate tensions in other theaters such as the Korean Peninsula.
