No wonder North Korea sent troops! The conditions given by Russia are so good that North Korea cannot refuse at all!

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has been in full swing since 2022, and Russia has consumed a huge amount of ammunition and manpower. The relationship between North Korea and Russia is already close. In June 2024, Putin visited Pyongyang and signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Kim Jong-un, which clearly stated terms of mutual assistance. One party should help if he was beaten.

The treaty was passed by the Russian Parliament in October 2024, signed by Putin in November, and approved by North Korea soon, and officially came into effect on December 5. This gave North Korea a legal basis for sending troops. But a treaty alone is not enough. North Korea is not a fool, they need to give real rewards.

South Korean intelligence shows that Russia has agreed to give North Korea 600,000 tonnes of rice every year, which is life-saving food for North Korea because they have been in short supply of food and are maintained by imports. Russia also pays each North Korean soldier a monthly salary of US$2,000, which is more than US$200 million in a year. This money is not a small amount, and it is a huge supplement to North Korea's foreign exchange reserves.

In addition to money and food, Russia also provides oil. Since March 2024, Russia has given North Korea more than 1 million barrels of oil, and continues to increase in 2025. This broke the UN sanctions limit, and North Korean oil tankers frequently went to Russian ports to pick up goods. North Korea has been tight on fuel. With this oil, factories can rotate and the army can move. Economic aid is the foundation, but North Korea values ​​military technology more.

Information shows that Russia promises to transfer missiles and space technology to help North Korea improve short-range ballistic missiles, such as the Hwasong-11 series. These missiles have been used on the Ukrainian battlefield, with accuracy from low to high, and North Korea optimizes its weapons through actual combat data.

Russia may also give MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets. Older North Korean Air Force aircraft need to be updated urgently. These aircraft are pulled out of Russian warehouses and can be used after repair. South Korean intelligence estimates that by January 2025, North Korea has obtained 120 multi-rocket launchers and 150 Hwasong-11 missiles from Russia.

The scale of North Korea's troops has expanded step by step. The first batch of 3,000 people arrived in the Kursk region of Russia in October 2024, and another 3,000 was added in January 2025, with a total of more than 14,000. Intelligence shows that North Korea plans to send another 25,000 to 30,000 in July 2025, and the total number may reach 45,000. These soldiers were rotated in batches, first training in the Russian Far East, learning drone operations and modern tactics, and then going to the Ukrainian frontline.

The Russian Defense Minister went to Pyongyang in June 2025 to further discuss technology transfer, including electronic warfare systems and submarine manufacturing. The two countries also signed a public safety agreement, and Russia helped North Korea build a drone factory, and construction started in June 2025.

North Korea provided ammunition and sent 6.5 million shells and 600 weapons systems in the first half of 2025, including tactical ballistic missiles. These missiles are used many times on the battlefield, and Russia is increasingly dependent on them. South Korea reported that North Korea supplied 120 multi-barrel rocket launchers from November 2024 to January 2025 to help Russia fill the firepower gap.

Of course, this matter is not for nothing. Russia publicly thanked the North Korean troops in April 2025, saying they helped regain territory. Kim Jong-un praised these soldiers as heroes on August 21, 2025, but the actual situation was that there were considerable casualties. South Korean intelligence estimates that by September 2025, about 2,000 North Korean soldiers died and the wounded were treated in Russian hospitals, and video shows them receiving medical treatment.

Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov confirmed in April 2025 that North Korean soldiers participated in the counterattack of the Ukrainian invasion and performed professionally. But these soldiers were integrated into the Russian army, wearing Russian uniforms, and using fake identities, which was difficult to identify. The Ukrainian Defense Minister said in January 2025 that they met North Koreans in battle, disguised as Buryats, but had strong operating skills. Ukraine captured two North Korean wounded soldiers on January 11, 2025, the first time it was confirmed.

Why is North Korea fighting so hard? Because the reward can directly improve their strength. Russia helped North Korea test new weapons, such as short-range surface-to-air missiles, and was accidentally attacked in the Kursk region in January 2025, but this allowed North Korea to see actual combat results.

The old-fashioned equipment provided by North Korea, such as 170mm self-propelled cannons and 240mm rocket launchers, is also used in Ukraine, which Russia needs to fill in stocks. The cooperation between the two countries has also expanded to reconstruction. In June 2025, North Korea sent workers to Russia to build infrastructure and build Tumenjiang Highway and Bridge, which is expected to be opened to traffic in 2026.

This is not only military, but also economic. North Korea's economic growth in 2024 was 3.7%, partly relying on these aids. The Russian Foreign Minister went to North Korea in July 2025 to discuss strategic partners. North Korea obtained nuclear submarine technology and the shipyard began to upgrade.

Why did Russia join North Korea? Because I suffered too much, tens of thousands of people died every month in 2025 and needed foreign aid. NATO helps Ukraine, Russia finds a balance between North Korea. The West condemns this matter, but Russia doesn't care. Putin wrote to Kim Jong-un on August 15, 2025, praising the performance of North Korean troops in Ukraine.

South Korean intelligence says North Korea has transported 28,000 container weapons to Russia in exchange for US$2 billion of equivalent resources. The two-country alliance deepened, and in September 2025 Putin said North Korea is a more important ally than Iran and China. The North Korean Air Force urgently needs to be replaced, and Russia's Su-27 and MiG-29 are just enough to make up. North Korea's missile production has increased, relying on Russian technology.

This transaction is a win-win situation for North Korea. They not only get money and food, but also learn practical experience. The North Korean army has 1.3 million, but it has never fought a big battle. The Ukrainian battlefield is a training ground. Ukrainian intelligence says that North Korean soldiers are young, motivated, have good physical fitness, use small arms accurately, and can also fire drones.

The money paid by Russia helps North Korea to bypass sanctions, making it difficult to hold foreign exchange in hand, so it is more common to exchange it in physical form. Russia produces a lot of oil and doesn't care how much it sells to North Korea. The two countries transport grain on the border trains and the warehouses distribute rice. North Korea's exports in 2023 were only 330 million, which is equivalent to the total trade in several years.

Of course, the risks are also great. 2,000 North Korean soldiers died and their families received condolences, but Kim Jong-un's status was stable. The West has double standards, but NATO has accused Ukraine of North Korea of ​​helping Russia. But this cannot change the facts, and the cooperation continues. On September 6, 2025, intelligence showed that the deployment of troops and material exchanges did not slow down.

Russia relies on North Korean ammunition, accounting for more than half of them. Through this incident, North Korea has improved its nuclear and missile capabilities and threatened South Korea and Japan. The global situation has changed, and tensions in Northeast Asia have intensified. The conditions given by Russia are too affordable and North Korea cannot refuse, and this matter will continue.

Russia also helped North Korea counter sanctions, and it provided unlimited supply of oil and food. North Korea provides manpower and weapons, and Russia gives technology cash. Both sides complement each other and the alliance is solid. North Korea's total economic output is small, but its military industry is strong, so Russia takes this opportunity to prosper. In the future, it may expand to other areas, and North Korea sends more workers to repair Russian facilities. The scale of aid is large and changes the dynamics of the battlefield.

The accuracy of North Korean missiles in Ukraine has increased, relying on actual combat feedback. The Russian general said in April 2025 that the North Korean soldiers were brave. The two countries launched bridge construction in April 2025 to deepen economic ties. Military cooperation not only includes troops, but also intelligence sharing. Russia will give North Korea advanced air defense systems in the first half of 2025. North Korea has obtained anti-ship missiles and improved its maritime defense.

The relationship between the two countries begins with the 2024 treaty and deepens in 2025. North Korean soldiers rotated and continued reinforcements. Russia pays compensation and North Korea takes resources. Globally, this intensifies confrontation. Western sanctions are invalid, and Russia and North Korea bypass them. North Korea is not afraid of isolation, Russia supports it. The essence of transaction is mutual assistance in survival. North Korea needs development, Russia needs help. The conditions are good, so it is natural for North Korea to send troops.