The Russian Federation is preparing to additionally recruit ten thousand service members from North Korea, who are currently undergoing selection for subsequent deployment to Russian territory. According to up-to-date Ukrainian intelligence data released by the country's leadership in late September 2026, over eight thousand North Korean soldiers are already in Russia and involved in ongoing strategic processes.
A New Stage of Mobilization and Military Cooperation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted in his evening address following a detailed report by the Main Directorate of Intelligence that Moscow has effectively launched a covert additional mobilization campaign. The Kremlin is systematically increasing personnel numbers by recruiting individuals through various methods, while also actively expanding the geography of foreign nationals' recruitment for combat operations.
Technology Transfer and Shahed Drone Production
Special attention in the report was paid to the price of this military partnership. As payment for the provided manpower and ammunition, Moscow is sharing critically important military technologies with Pyongyang. According to the Ukrainian leader, with direct technical support from Russia, North Korea has already deployed its own serial production of Shahed-type strike drones.
Controversial Data
While official Kyiv sources and Western intelligence insist on large-scale contingent integration and the transfer of missile and drone technologies, official representatives of Pyongyang and Moscow traditionally refrain from specific comments regarding exact figures of military personnel numbers or the details of technological exchange, limiting themselves to statements about developing traditional bilateral partnership within the sovereign rights of states.
Geopolitical Consequences for Asia
Experts note that the deepening military alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang poses a direct threat to global security. The experience gained during the large-scale armed conflict in Ukraine is being successfully adapted by North Korean military personnel to modernize their own army, significantly increasing tensions in the Asian region and creating new challenges for the security of the Republic of Korea.
