---
title: "ISW: North Korean troops may replace Russian units on the Sumy axis"
description: "According to ISW, North Korean units may replace Russian forces on certain stretches of the front in the Sumy region, which would allow Russia to redeploy forces to the Lyman tactical area."
date: 2026-09-17T06:08:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/isw-north-korean-troops-on-sumy-front
tags: [north-korea, russia, ukraine-war, sumy, isw]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# ISW: North Korean troops may replace Russian units on the Sumy axis

![Soldiers in camouflage uniforms and face masks with rifles on the Sumy direction where ISW says North Korean troops may replace Russian units](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/17/isw-severokoreiskie-voennye-na-sumskom-fronte/isw-severokoreiskie-voennye-na-sumskom-fronte-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- ISW reports that North Korean units may replace Russian forces on certain stretches of the front, most likely in the Sumy region.
- This could allow Russia to redeploy the freed-up forces to the Lyman tactical area.
- ISW does not yet record the actual presence of DPRK military on Ukrainian territory; the assessments are based on an anonymous source.
- The Russian command may transfer two battalions of the 1st Motor Rifle Regiment to the village of Riasne, southeast of Sumy.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), in a fresh report cited by RBC-Ukraine, reports on a possible shift of roles on the northern sector of the front: according to US analysts, North Korean units may replace Russian forces on certain stretches, most likely in the Sumy region. If this happens, Moscow will be able to redeploy the freed-up forces to the Lyman tactical area, marking a notable reorganization of the grouping in northern Ukraine.

### What ISW reports

US analysts rely on a source linked to the Russian "North" grouping of forces. According to this source, on certain stretches Russian troops may be replaced by North Korean units. The same source claims that individual North Korean officers have already been operating near the international border, where, in its words, they were gaining combat experience and conducting reconnaissance. At the same time, as ISW notes, North Korean soldiers have been stationed in the Russian rear for some time now — in the Kursk region. On this basis, analysts assume that it is precisely on the Sumy or Kharkiv axis that their entry into Ukrainian territory may occur.

### Contradictory data

Here it is important to distinguish between what the anonymous source claims and what ISW actually records. The source states that North Korean officers have already been conducting reconnaissance and gaining combat experience at the border, however the Institute for the Study of War itself does not yet record any signs of DPRK military presence on Ukrainian territory. Thus, the version of actual combat use of North Koreans at the front remains unconfirmed by independent data, and the matter is primarily a matter of analysts' assumptions based on a single anonymous source. If the deployment does take place, ISW characterizes it as a further expansion of North Korea's involvement in the war against Ukraine.

### Relocation of Russian units

The report separately mentions the possible relocation of Russian troops to the Sumy area. According to the same source, the Russian command may transfer two battalions of the 1st Motor Rifle Regiment to the village of Riasne, located to the southeast of Sumy. ISW had previously recorded units of this regiment on various stretches of the front in northern Ukraine, which makes their possible concentration in the Sumy area an additional indicator of preparations for operations in this region.

### Context: dynamics at the front

These assessments come against the backdrop of RBC-Ukraine reports that the Defense Forces advanced on the Donbas and pushed back the Russian army in the Kharkiv region. Earlier, the outlet also reported that the commander of the "Madjar" Special Operations Brigade published a video of the elimination of Russian General Grunin. The combination of these factors, according to the analysts' logic, may explain the Russian command's interest in redistributing forces on the northern axis and the potential involvement of North Korean units.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Russia has a new plan for the Sumy region, - ISW](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiya-mae-noviy-plan-shchodo-sumskoyi-oblasti-1789625107.html) - РБК-Украина публикует отчет ISW о возможной замене российских подразделений северокорейскими на Сумском/Харьковском направлениях и переброске двух батальонов 1-го мотострелкового полка в село Рясное. ISW оговаривает отсутствие подтвержденных признаков присутствия КНДР на территории Украины; данные опираются на анонимный источник, связанный с группировкой «Север».

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Does ISW confirm the presence of North Korean military on Ukrainian territory?
**A:** No. ISW does not yet record any signs of DPRK military presence on Ukrainian territory. Analysts speak of a possible replacement of Russian units by North Koreans based on an anonymous source linked to the Russian "North" grouping.

### Q: Why, according to analysts, might Russia involve North Korean units?
**A:** According to ISW's logic, replacing Russian troops with North Koreans on certain stretches would allow Moscow to redeploy the freed-up forces to the Lyman tactical area.

### Q: Which Russian units may be relocated to the Sumy area?
**A:** According to the source, the Russian command may transfer two battalions of the 1st Motor Rifle Regiment to the village of Riasne, located southeast of Sumy. ISW had previously recorded this regiment on various stretches of the front in northern Ukraine.