Russia-North Korea Relations: Analysis of an Expanding Partnership

Military Deployments and Battlefield Transfers

North Korea has supported Russian military operations in Ukraine by providing large stockpiles of artillery ammunition alongside ballistic missiles. According to Ukrainian intelligence assessments cited in August 2026, plans were finalized for Pyongyang to dispatch a missile unit consisting of 90 personnel alongside at least 120 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles. In October 2024, North Korea committed more than 10,000 troops to aid Moscow’s war effort, with forces participating in combat operations during March 2025 to expel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently referred to these deployed North Korean troops as heroes. A memorial constructed in North Korea during 2026 for soldiers killed in action in Russia lists over 2,000 names. Furthermore, Ukrainian officials estimate that several thousand North Korean engineers and specialists support the Russian military, including roughly 400 drone operators. In August 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Pyongyang intended to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 additional troops to Russia.

Strategic Benefits for North Korea

According to the U.S. intelligence community’s 2025 annual threat assessment, Moscow provides North Korea with financial benefits, diplomatic backing, and defense cooperation. In addition to earning billions through artillery deliveries, Russia has reportedly shipped oil to North Korea above limits set by the United Nations Security Council. Moscow also unfroze $9 million in North Korean assets held within the Russian banking system, facilitates Pyongyang’s access to global financial networks, and hosts North Korean laborers. U.S. Forces Korea Commander General Xavier Brunson stated in 2026 congressional testimony that North Korea has made significant shifts in its military capabilities. Additionally, Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo testified in April 2026 that Pyongyang seeks Russian assistance to develop space launch vehicles, military satellites, one-way attack drones, missile technology, and advanced submarine propulsion technology. A May 2025 report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team noted that Russia is believed to have provided North Korea with air defense equipment, anti-aircraft missiles, and advanced electronic warfare systems.

Dismantling UN Sanctions and Congressional Response

Between 2006 and 2017, Russia supported ten United Nations Security Council resolutions restricting trade, weapons transfers, and labor usage tied to North Korea’s nuclear program. However, Moscow reversed course following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In March 2024, Russia vetoed a UN resolution that would have renewed the mandate of an expert panel monitoring North Korean sanctions evasion, effectively halting international oversight of banned trade. In response to these developments, the United States and 10 partner nations established the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team in 2024. The second Trump Administration maintained the monitoring team and issued new sanctions targeting Russia-based North Korean information technology groups and cyber operators. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress has advanced legislative measures, including the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which mandates assessments of the security impacts of the Russia-North Korea alliance and establishes cross-agency working groups to counter adversary alignment among Russia, North Korea, China, and Iran.