10,000 North Korean troops training in Russia on hybrid warfare – Zelenskyy
About 10,000 North Korean soldiers are training on Russian territory in hybrid warfare tactics, including countering Ukrainian drone and missile strikes, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Japan’s Kyodo News.
The North Koreans are learning to defend against various drone types — from FPV to long-range and fiber-optic models — as well as repelling air attacks similar to those Ukraine conducts on Russian territory, he said.
Zelenskyy noted that not all trained fighters will be deployed against Ukraine; many will return home to North Korea to pass on the skills and integrate them at the state level.
“What will they do with this knowledge? At the very least, they will bring this experience and knowledge home to North Korea,” Zelenskyy stated.
Background
Ukrainian intelligence reported in fall 2024 that the first North Korean units, trained at eastern Russian ranges, arrived in Kursk Oblast combat zones, estimating around 12,000 troops, including 500 officers.
In November 2025, South Korea’s Yonhap cited several thousand North Korean servicemen sent to Russia for “infrastructure restoration.”
British intelligence assessed in June 2025 that North Korean forces suffered over 6,000 casualties in Kursk Oblast fighting.
Recent Ukrainian military intelligence updates indicate ongoing rotation of North Korean personnel in Kursk Oblast, where they conduct artillery and MLRS strikes on Ukrainian border communities and perform aerial reconnaissance.
The North Korean contingent is also studying unmanned technologies and modern warfare methods.
Ukraine’s intelligence estimates that around 300,000 trained and experienced North Korean soldiers have already returned home since their involvement began, with most becoming military instructors to spread 21st-century warfare skills across the North Korean army.