How Many Soldiers Has North Korea Sent to Russia: Report

North Korea has sent 14,000 soldiers and millions of ammunition to Russia over the past year, including missiles and artillery systems, according to a new report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), as reported by CNN. Pyongyang's support has contributed to Moscow's operations of 'terrorizing' Ukraine's civilian population during the three-year war.

Some of the revelations in the report were already known, particularly regarding the participation of North Korean soldiers on the Russian side, but this report details the scale and extent of the military assistance provided by Pyongyang since the onset of the war against Ukraine.

In 2024 alone, North Korea supplied approximately 9 million artillery shells and ammunition to Russia, while in 2023, it sent over 11,000 soldiers, with an additional 3,000 soldiers dispatched in early 2024. Also provided were rocket systems, armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and other heavy military equipment.

According to the report, at least 100 ballistic missiles have been launched aimed at destroying Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and terrorizing populated areas, such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.

“This illegal cooperation between North Korea and Russia has significantly contributed to the intensification of Moscow's missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure of critical importance,” the report states.

In return, Russia has supplied North Korea with air defense systems, anti-aircraft missiles, electronic warfare systems, as well as refined oil. The report also notes that Russia has provided technical data regarding North Korean ballistic missiles, improving their accuracy.

This cooperation allows North Korea to continually finance its military programs, including the development and enhancement of ballistic missiles prohibited by several UN Security Council resolutions, as well as gain real experience in conducting modern warfare.