Russia’s military relations with North Korea comply with international law, Russia’s representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, asserted at a UN Security Council meeting. Nebenzya dismissed allegations that North Korean soldiers were engaged in combat on Russia’s front lines in Ukraine, calling such claims “barefaced lies.” According to Nebenzya, military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), is not intended to threaten any third country and remains within the bounds of international norms.
On the same day, the defense leaders of the United States and South Korea urged North Korea to withdraw its troops from Russia, a force reportedly deployed for potential use against Ukrainian forces. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking alongside South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, emphasized the need for Pyongyang’s “immediate withdrawal” of these troops and pledged continued cooperation with allies to deter Russia from deploying them in combat.
The Pentagon indicated that a “small number” of North Korean troops have already been positioned in Russia’s Kursk region, an area where Ukrainian forces have been advancing since August. Austin hinted that these developments might prompt broader responses from other nations but withheld specific details.
Addressing the UNSC, Nebenzya accused Western statements about North Korean troops in Russia of being an attempt to divert attention and manipulate the narrative. He criticized what he described as the flawed logic of the United States and its allies, who justify support for Ukraine’s military efforts through NATO but challenge similar partnerships between Russia and its allies.
North Korea’s representative at the UN, Kim Song, echoed these sentiments, asserting the DPRK’s right to establish bilateral relations with Russia across various sectors. He further stated that the “greatest threat to international peace and security” stems from U.S. actions and those of its allies, rather than from cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
The deepening Russia-North Korea alliance during the Ukraine conflict has raised concerns worldwide. Both nations remain subject to international sanctions—North Korea for its nuclear weapons program and Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Experts have noted that North Korea’s closer alignment with Russia could be motivated by the possibility of acquiring military technology, including surveillance satellites, submarines, and perhaps even security assurances.
In a statement to the UNSC, Ukraine’s UN representative Sergiy Kyslytsya contended that the cooperation between Russia and North Korea was intended to escalate the conflict in Ukraine. He warned that joint military efforts between Russian and North Korean forces pose security risks to Europe and the Korean Peninsula alike.
Officials are uncertain of North Korea’s specific requests in exchange for its support, but speculation includes military advancements or technological assets. Sources indicate that North Korean troops are stationed approximately 50 kilometers from the Ukraine-Russia border, a deployment potentially involving up to 12,000 soldiers across several Russian training sites. Ukrainian sources reported that multiple flights recently transferred North Korean personnel from Russia’s Eastern Military District to positions near Ukraine.
North Korea has also provided munitions to Russia, and the White House has previously released images allegedly depicting 1,000 containers of military supplies being shipped from North Korea to Russia by rail.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to escalate on the ground. Russia and Ukraine exchanged heavy drone strikes, with a guided bomb from Russia hitting an apartment building in Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian attacks across multiple regions resulted in at least four deaths and dozens of injuries. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced it had captured a village in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones over its western and southwestern regions.
In parallel to these events, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui visited Russia for discussions that could include arrangements for further troop deployments, according to South Korea’s intelligence agency.
