What Is North Korea’s Real Role in Russia’s War Against Ukraine?
In 2025, North Korea became an open participant in Russia’s war against Ukraine, with military cooperation now extending beyond weapons supplies to include direct combat support, as highlighted by political scientist Petro Oleshchuk, Ph.D., expert at the United Ukraine Think Tank, in his recent article for The Gaze.
“For the first time since the Korean War of the 1950s, North Korean military personnel are again involved in an external conflict,” Oleshchuk explains. “Moreover, the DPRK has violated the UN’s international sanctions regime, which prohibits arms exports and military cooperation.”
North Korea’s role includes:
• Supplying over 100,000 artillery shells in early 2025;
• Transferring KN-23 ballistic missiles, some of which have struck Kyiv;
• Sending military engineers and “volunteers” to support rear logistics;
• Deploying troops, with thousands confirmed killed or captured.
“This step has significantly changed the nature of the war,” Oleshchuk notes. “It indicates deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia and creates new threats to security in the region.”
He warns the alliance is not ideological, but pragmatic: “Moscow provides Pyongyang with economic aid, energy resources, and support in international organizations… At the same time, for Russia, the DPRK’s participation is an opportunity to continue hostilities despite the lack of its own resources.”
In Oleshchuk’s view, the DPRK’s active involvement highlights “a deepening global conflict between democracies and autocracies.”
Read the full article by Petro Oleshchuk on The Gaze: How does North Korea Actually Help Russia in Its War Against Ukraine?