Putin calls North Korean troops “heroic” – Russia rewards Pyongyang for cannon fodder

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed North Korean troops sent to fight in Ukraine as "heroic" in a letter to Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported Friday. The letter comes as North Korea plans to send an additional 25,000 to 30,000 troops to assist Russia in their war against Ukraine, tripling Pyongyang's military commitment from the original 11,000 soldiers deployed in November 2024. It also reflects Russia's growing reliance on North Korean support, with Ukrainian intelligence reporting that 60% of artillery shells fired by Russian forces recently were North Korean-made, compared to only 30% that were Russian-produced.

Russia's highest-level acknowledgment of North Korean combat role

In a letter marking the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, Putin recalled how Soviet Red Army units and North Korean forces fought together to end Japan's colonial occupation, saying "This was demonstrated by the heroic participation of the D​PRK soldiers in liberating the territory of the Kursk region from the Ukrainian occupiers." Putin's letter coincided with a visit by a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, where State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin thanked Kim for sending "excellent soldiers" to Ukraine. Kim mentioned he had a phone call with Putin on Wednesday, agreeing to expanded bilateral cooperation.

North Korea's expanding military commitment despite heavy losses

Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate around 4,000 of the original 11,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or injured in Kursk Oblast, according to Western officials. Despite these casualties, North Korea plans additional deployments. North Korea confirmed in April 2025 for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, marking the country's first participation in a major armed conflict since the Korean War.

Military cooperation deepens through technology transfers

The troop deployment stems from a mutual defense treaty signed by Putin and Kim in June 2024, which requires both nations to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked. Ukrainian intelligence confirms Russia and North Korea have reached agreements to establish drone production capabilities on North Korean territory, with Russia providing blueprints for Iranian Shahed-type drones. Russia has also agreed to provide MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets to North Korea in exchange for military support, according to US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo.

Russia's growing dependence on North Korean munitions

South Korean estimates indicate North Korea sent over 15,000 containers of weapons since September 2023, with shipments including 9 million shells, hundreds of launchers, and KN-23 ballistic missiles that now account for 70% of Russian artillery use.

Strategic implications for Ukraine's resistance

Putin's letter came three days ahead of Friday's summit between Putin and Trump, the first between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021, as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia's more than three-year war in Ukraine. The deepening Russia-North Korea axis represents what Kim Jong Un has described as the Korean Peninsula being the front line in a new Cold War, with Pyongyang as a key player in a revived Cold War axis that includes Moscow and Beijing. South Korean intelligence reports North Korea receives approximately $200 million, rice supplies, and advanced space technology in exchange for its military support, including assistance with launching military reconnaissance satellites.