Russia received thousands of troops and millions of munitions from North Korea, according to an international report

North Korea has supplied Russia with a massive amount of military aid in the past year, including heavy weaponry, ballistic missiles, and more than 14,000 troops, in an effort to boost the offensive against Ukraine. This is revealed in a recent report published by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), an entity made up of eleven United Nations countries that tracks violations of international sanctions.

The extent of this collaboration includes the shipment of up to nine million artillery rounds and ammunition in 2024 alone, as well as the deployment of missiles that were used by the Kremlin to attack Ukrainian cities such as Kiev and Zaporiyia. The report also denounces the transfer of rocket launchers, military vehicles, and at least a hundred North Korean ballistic missiles, many of which were employed against civilian infrastructure.

A military pact that fuels the war

The report details how the alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang has had a direct impact on the escalation of Russian attacks against the Ukrainian population. According to the document, North Korean weapons have enabled Russia to maintain its offensive capability at key moments in the war, in open defiance of UN Security Council resolutions banning this type of arms trade.

In exchange for this support, North Korea has reportedly received from Russia high-tech weaponry, air defense systems, anti-aircraft missiles, electronic warfare technology, and refined oil. Moscow also shared key missile guidance data, which has allowed Pyongyang to improve the performance of its own ballistic projectiles.

According to the report, these actions allow North Korea to fund its military programs, advance the development of ballistic missiles - banned by multiple UN Security Council resolutions - and gain direct experience in modern warfare.

Direct involvement on the front lines

In April, both North Korea and Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted for the first time the involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict. However, Moscow and Pyongyang continue to publicly deny supplying weapons.

Both governments signed a mutual defense pact in 2024 that provides for immediate military assistance in case of external aggression. This agreement has caused alarm among Western powers, who fear an expansion of the conflict beyond Ukraine's borders.