Image Credentials: Image Title: North Korea Sent 100 Ballistic Missiles and 11,000 Troops to Russia, International Report Reveals Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: June 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer International Desk with Agencies | June 3, 2025
NEW YORK — North Korea has secretly sent 11,000 troops and at least 100 ballistic missiles to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, according to a groundbreaking report released by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a coalition of U.N. member states, including the United States.
The intelligence report, the most comprehensive of its kind, also confirms the transfer of millions of rounds of artillery and rockets from Pyongyang to Moscow in what analysts are calling a serious breach of international law and United Nations Security Council sanctions.
In exchange for the substantial military support, Russia provided North Korea with air defense systems, advanced electronic warfare equipment, and critical missile guidance technology — upgrades that have significantly improved the accuracy of North Korea’s weapons.
“These transfers constitute blatant violations of U.N. arms embargoes,” the report states, highlighting a vast network of illegal shipments via ships, aircraft, and rail. Satellite imagery cited in the report shows North Korean self-propelled artillery in Russian territory and rocket launcher ammunition recovered from Ukrainian battlegrounds.
Evidence of Combat Deployment
According to the report, North Korean soldiers were first deployed to Russia in August 2024 following discussions that reportedly began after Ukrainian forces advanced into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. These troops, disguised in Russian military uniforms and transported by Russian naval and air forces, have been engaged in direct combat alongside Russian forces.
The soldiers were trained by Russian units in artillery operations, drone warfare, trench-clearing, and other frontline tactics. This military presence is part of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 2024 and endorsed personally by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Missiles Used Against Civilians
More than 100 North Korean ballistic missiles have been fired in Ukraine, the report reveals. These include Hwasong-11 short-range ballistic missiles, one of which was confirmed to have struck Kharkiv in January 2024. Investigators concluded that the missiles were used deliberately to target civilian infrastructure in cities like Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Russian military feedback on the battlefield performance of these weapons has reportedly been relayed back to Pyongyang, leading to noticeable improvements in missile guidance technology, the report said.
In addition to ballistic missiles, North Korea has provided Bulsae-4 anti-tank missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, and heavy artillery systems, including over 200 vehicles and multiple reload systems.
Oil Smuggling and Sanctions Violations
The intelligence findings also highlight serious breaches of U.N. sanctions related to petroleum trade. Between March and October 2024, satellite tracking revealed that at least 12 North Korean tankers visited a Russian port 43 times, transporting over a million barrels of refined petroleum, far exceeding the 500,000-barrel annual limit imposed by the U.N.
The report also notes that Russia has maintained illicit financial and banking ties with North Korea, which have long been subject to international restrictions due to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
A Growing Threat
“This is not just an arms deal. This is a military alliance operating outside the bounds of international law,” a U.S. official involved with the monitoring team said under condition of anonymity.
The monitoring team was established in October 2024 to track violations of U.N. sanctions on North Korea, with a focus on curbing the nation’s missile and nuclear activities. Their findings suggest the emergence of a more formalized and dangerous military cooperation between two of the world’s most sanctioned regimes.
The report concludes that the continued collaboration between Russia and North Korea presents a grave threat to global security and represents one of the most serious violations of international arms control agreements in recent memory.
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