North Korea has deployed troops, weapons, and a missile unit to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official. This marks Pyongyang’s most significant involvement in a war since the 1950s.
Background
In June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, which includes a mutual assistance provision if either country faces external aggression.
North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery, and multiple-launch rocket systems. A Reuters analysis found that four Russian-flagged cargo ships made 64 voyages to North Korea’s Rajin port between September 2023 and March 2025, transporting nearly 16,000 containers of ammunition to Russian ports.
International Reaction
The United States and its allies have said the troop deployments and arms transfers violate U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea. Pyongyang has been subject to U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
