North Korea Expands Military Support for Moscow, Sends Thousands Under Civilian Cover

North Korea has quietly dispatched thousands of military personnel to Russia under the guise of construction laborers, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), which briefed lawmakers on the matter this week.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Euractiv.

The NIS revealed that roughly 5,000 North Korean construction troops and 1,000 military engineers have been deployed to Russian territory since September. 

These forces are allegedly involved in infrastructure reconstruction and mine-clearing operations near the border with Ukraine – tasks that blur the line between “civilian” and direct military support.

South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-Kweun told reporters after a closed-door intelligence session that the deployment was part of Pyongyang’s broader effort to assist Moscow’s war machine. 

“Around 5,000 North Korean construction troops have been moving to Russia in phases since September and are expected to be mobilised for infrastructure reconstruction,” he said.

According to the intelligence report, over 10,000 North Korean personnel are currently stationed in areas close to the Ukrainian border, some engaged in “security-related duties.” 

South Korea’s intelligence community is also tracking intensified recruitment drives inside North Korea, suggesting further deployments may follow in the coming months.

The cooperation comes at a steep human cost. The NIS estimates that at least 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded during operations in Russia and Ukraine. Earlier assessments cited by Euractiv in September put the potential death toll at over 2,000 troops.

Analysts believe North Korea’s manpower support is exchanged for Russian military technology, fuel, food supplies, and financial aid, helping Pyongyang circumvent UN sanctions targeting its weapons and nuclear programs. 

In October, a UN sanctions monitoring group warned that up to 40,000 additional North Korean workers, including IT specialists, could be sent to Russia that would flagrantly violate international sanctions.

Western intelligence agencies have already documented the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, where they reportedly assisted in coordinating rocket strikes on Ukraine’s Sumy region using drones.

As The Gaze previously reported, North Korea has begun construction of a museum in Pyongyang dedicated to its soldiers who fought alongside Russia against Ukraine, glorifying their actions as heroic deeds outside the country.