Russia’s Defense Ministry has released new footage showing North Korean soldiers training with advanced Russian firearms, including AK-12 assault rifles, Dragunov sniper rifles, and Vepr-12 shotguns modified to target drones, Business Insider reports.
The Russian-North Korean partnership has raised alarm in the West and South Korea, where officials fear that North Korean troops may gain critical combat experience and learn how to fight with—and against—modern weapons and drones.
The video also shows troops practicing trench clearing, grenade handling, and firing RPG-7s, the rocket-propelled grenade launcher that Russia uses in service now.
This weaponry matches what Ukraine’s intelligence says Russia delivered to North Korea in late 2024. The footage reportedly shows North Korean forces deployed near Kursk, though this remains unverified.
The release follows Moscow’s recent admission—after months of silence—that North Korean troops are fighting Ukrainian forces. Western officials warn that the deployment gives Pyongyang valuable combat experience, especially with modern weapons and drone warfare. Despite high casualties and initial inexperience, captured materials suggest North Korean forces are adapting.
Moscow is transferring military technologies to Pyongyang in exchange for the deployment of North Korean troops to fight against Ukraine. Previously, Ukraine reported that the country had initially sent 12,000 soldiers to Russia, while Seoul’s estimate was more conservative, at 11,000.
These troops played a significant role in Russia’s ultimately successful effort to push Ukrainian forces out of most of their bridgehead in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
The US State Department has condemned North Korea’s involvement, saying it helps perpetuate Russia’s war against Ukraine and holds Pyongyang accountable.
Earlier, captured North Korean soldiers in Ukraine revealed that Pyongyang operates a military training base designed to resemble Seoul and other major South Korean cities.
South Korean lawmaker Yoo Young-won, who recently visited Ukraine and met with two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs), learned that the base is located in Koksan County, North Hwanghae Province, just 65 km from the Demilitarized Zone.
