Nearly 11,000 North Korean troops stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast at start of 2026, media reports
About 11,000 North Korean troops are stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast as of early 2026 to support Moscow's war in Ukraine, Yonhap reported on Feb. 12, citing South Korea's intelligence.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Pyongyang has strengthened its relationship with Moscow, supplying weapons and deploying North Korean troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine in 2024.
About 10,000 North Korean combat troops and 1,000 engineer troops are currently stationed in the front-line Russian region, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
About 1,100 soldiers who returned to North Korea from the front in December 2025 may be sent back to Russia to take part in the war, the report said.
The NIS said North Korea's losses in Kursk Oblast totaled about 6,000 troops, killed or injured. Earlier in June, the U.K. Defense Intelligence also said Pyongyang had suffered more than 6,000 casualties during offensive operations on Russian soil.
"Despite suffering 6,000 casualties, the North Korean military has achieved the results of acquiring modern combat tactics and data on the battlefield, as well as upgrading its weapons systems with technical assistance from Russia," the NIS said.
Russia's Kursk Oblast borders Ukraine's Sumy Oblast to the west and southwest. Ukraine launched the unprecedented incursion in this region in August 2024, advancing into Russian territory and seizing 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) within the first months.
The operation, planned by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, sought to divert Russian troops from eastern Ukraine and disrupt Moscow's plans to invade Sumy Oblast.
Russia, reinforced by around 12,000 North Korean troops, launched a counter-offensive this spring that later forced Ukraine out of most of the captured Russian territory.
North Korea has emerged as one of Russia's closest military partners during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, supplying artillery shells, ballistic missiles, and combat personnel.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) previously reported that North Korean troops had carried out attacks in Ukraine's border areas, marking what Kyiv described as direct participation in combat operations.
