North Korea Preparing More Troop Deployments to Russia, Seoul Says

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 — North Korea is continuing preparations for a possible additional deployment of troops to Russia, according to South Korea’s Defence Ministry, although Seoul says it has detected no evidence that such a move is imminent.

The assessment was provided to South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon and follows recent claims by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Pyongyang could send as many as 50,000 additional troops to support Russia. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected that claim last week.

Seoul also said North Korea continues to supply Russia with weapons, including short-range ballistic missiles. South Korean authorities estimate Pyongyang has delivered more than 15 million rounds of artillery ammunition, calculated in 152mm shell equivalents.

South Korean intelligence believes North Korean missiles used in the Ukraine war may also have become more accurate through battlefield experience, supported by Russian technical advice and components. The development raises concerns that Pyongyang could improve its own weapons programme using lessons gained from the conflict.

The Defence Ministry said development of several North Korean ballistic missiles and multiple rocket launchers believed to be intended for a potential conflict with South Korea is nearing completion. Pyongyang is also preparing its Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching the US territory of Guam, for operational deployment.

North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles are believed to have enough range to reach the US mainland, although South Korea says critical technologies such as reliable warhead re-entry have not yet been verified because North Korean test launches have largely followed steep, lofted trajectories.

Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has deepened significantly since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western assessments indicate North Korea began supplying artillery ammunition and missiles in 2023 before deploying troops from 2024.

The latest assessment highlights growing concern that cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang could strengthen both Russia’s war effort and North Korea’s military capabilities, even as there remains no confirmed timetable for another North Korean troop deployment.