NK Forces Expand Footprint in Russia: About 11,000 North Korean Troops in Kursk by 2026
TL;DR Summary
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service says roughly 11,000 North Korean troops—about 10,000 combat forces and 1,000 engineers—are stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast as of early 2026 to back Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The report adds that around 1,100 soldiers who returned from the front in December 2025 could be redeployed, and NK casualties in Kursk are cited at about 6,000 by the NIS, with UK defense intelligence placing losses above that figure, underscoring a deepening North Korea–Russia military partnership.
- Nearly 11,000 North Korean troops stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast at start of 2026, media reports The Kyiv Independent
- For Ukrainian troops, the North Korea problem isn't soldiers launching assaults. It's artillery, lawmaker says. Business Insider
- 6,000 North Korean Troops Killed or Wounded Fighting for Russia, Seoul Reveals UNITED24 Media
- DPRK's Kim inspects under-construction overseas military operations memorial museum chinadailyasia.com
- Russian ambassador in Seoul thanks North Korean troops for 'liberation' of Kursk Korea JoongAng Daily
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