North Korea May Send 1 Lakh Troops to Aid Putin in Russia-Ukraine War: Reports

New Delhi, India: North Korea could send up to 1,00,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine if its alliance with Moscow strengthens further, according to G20 assessments stated by media reports. Analysts suggest the deployment would occur in rotating phases rather than a single large-scale transfer. Ukraine's ambassador to South Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko, previously raised similar concerns, predicting that an initial 15,000 North Korean troops might be deployed to Russia’s Kursk region and occupied parts of eastern Ukraine, rotating every few months, according to Bloomberg. This possibility has alarmed Ukraine’s allies, who view North Korea’s potential involvement as a significant escalation with broader regional implications. Western nations fear that closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang could destabilize the Indo-Pacific, already strained by US-China tensions. The issue is expected to dominate discussions at the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reportedly conveyed his concerns directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that deploying North Korean troops would exacerbate the conflict. Scholz also plans to address the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging Beijing to use its influence to prevent further escalation. China, a key ally of both Russia and North Korea, has not commented publicly on the issue. While Chinese President Xi has traditionally sought to avoid instability on the Korean Peninsula, reports indicate that Pyongyang may be seeking advanced technology transfers from Russia, including tactical nuclear weapons and missile systems, in exchange for its military support. Reports suggest North Korea has already sent over 10,000 troops to the Kursk region, along with weapons and artillery.

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North Korea May Send 1 Lakh Troops to Aid Putin in Russia-Ukraine War: Reports

North Korea could send up to 1,00,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine if its alliance with Moscow strengthens further.

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