North Korean troops in Russia attack Ukrainian border communities, HUR says

North Korean troops fighting under Russian command are carrying out attacks in Ukraine’s border areas, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) said on Feb. 4.

In a statement, HUR said that, as of January 2026, North Korean troops are stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast, from where they launch attacks on Ukrainian border oblasts. Kursk borders Ukraine's northern Sumy Oblast, which comes under daily Russian air attacks.

Under Russian command, North Korean soldiers fire barrel artillery and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), conduct aerial and artillery reconnaissance, and adjust MLRS strikes, HUR said.

According to HUR, military personnel stationed in Kursk Oblast are rotated regularly under agreements between Moscow and Pyongyang.

North Korea is a key ally to Russia during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, deploying thousands of troops in combat and providing artillery and ballistic missiles

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement that includes mutual support in the event of an attack, ahead of North Korea's troop deployment to Russia in June 2024.

Since then, Pyongyang has sent roughly 11,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia in late 2024 to help repel Ukraine's advance in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Since North Korean troops became involved in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, approximately 3,000 trained and experienced soldiers have returned to North Korea, with most of them becoming military instructors and passing on skills gained in modern warfare to the North Korean army, HUR said.

"A key objective of North Korea's participation in the war is mastering unmanned technologies and gaining hands-on experience in modern, high-intensity warfare. The acquisition of combat experience with drones has become one of Pyongyang's primary goals in supporting Russia's invasion," HUR added.

Moscow has repeatedly highlighted the role of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine, while North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has openly acknowledged his military's participation on Russia's side.

read also

‘If you give your life, you live forever’ — North Korean soldiers in Ukraine encouraged to use grenades to avoid capture, media reports

The North Korean military is highlighting the “heroic services” of soldiers who blew themselves up in Ukraine rather than be taken prisoner, a Daily NK source said.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Several Ukrainian children abducted by Russia forcibly sent to North Korea, expert tells US Senate

“12-year-old Misha from the occupied Donetsk region and 16-year-old Liza from occupied Simferopol were sent to Songdowon camp in North Korea, 9,000 km from home,” Rashevska testified. “Children there were taught to ‘destroy Japanese militarists’ and met Korean veterans who, in 1968, attacked the U.S. Navy ship Pueblo, killing and wounding nine American soldiers.”

The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat