North Korea gaining military edge as Russia seeks war-time supplies

North Korea is rapidly modernising its military with Russian support, gaining advanced weapons, battlefield experience, and strategic leverage. This has raised concerns about regional security

North Korea has been rapidly unveiling new weapons, including AI-guided attack drones, upgraded tanks with electronic warfare features, a new naval destroyer armed with supersonic cruise missiles, and an improved air-defence system. It has also showcased air-to-air missiles and new drone technology.

 

In the past, international sanctions, natural disasters, and the Covid-19 pandemic were thought to have left the North Korea’s ageing Soviet-era military incapable of modernisation. But Kim Jong-un found a solution by turning to Russia, which needed weapons and manpower as it continues its military operation in Ukraine, according to a report by The New York Times.

 

Reviving an old alliance

As Russia’s war in Ukraine dragged on and its resources thinned, North Korea stepped in with large supplies of artillery shells and troops. In return, Russia restarted a Cold War-era treaty of defence and cooperation with North Korea.

 

According to South Korean officials and analysts quoted in the NYT report, this deal has provided North Korea with fuel, food, military materials and technologies to upgrade its forces. They warn that this growing military cooperation could destabilise the Korean Peninsula.

New weapons, new opportunities

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and North Korea’s economy, the country focused on nuclear weapons while its conventional military remained outdated. In contrast, South Korea, backed by the US and its 28,500 troops, maintained a strong military edge.

 

However, analysts say Russia’s need for weapons and manpower has brought about a major shift. North Korea’s weapons industry has been revitalised, with Kim now gaining battlefield insights and modern warfare experience.

 

“North Korea appears to be entering a strategic golden age,” Yang Uk, Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told NYT.

Support for Russia in Ukraine

Russia has also benefited. Though kept secret at first, Russian military officials later confirmed that North Korean troops helped Russian forces push back Ukrainians in the Kursk region. South Korean intelligence believes around 15,000 North Korean troops have entered Russia.

 

North Korea has supplied millions of artillery shells and missiles. The two countries are also working together to develop drones.

 

The cooperation has strengthened Vladimir Putin’s position in both the Ukraine conflict and international diplomacy. In September 2023, Kim visited Russia’s Far East, where he toured a space launch centre, aircraft factory, and military bases. South Korean analysts believe he made a “bucket list” of technologies he wanted.

 

The relationship deepened when Kim invited Putin to Pyongyang last June. Soon after, North Korean troops reportedly began flowing into Russia.

Testing troops in real battles

Dmitri Kuznets, an analyst with Meduza, said North Korean troops helped retake two villages in the Kursk region. However, the exact scale of their involvement remains debated, according to him.

 

Valery Shiryaev, a Russian military analyst, wrote on Telegram that real battlefield experience was important for Kim. “All of them are getting an incredible experience now and will come back as real veterans,” he said. “There are no such people in the South Korean Army, which undoubtedly fills Kim Jong-un with pride.”

 

Analysts have observed aircraft and ships carrying military technology from Russia to North Korea. Kim has increased visits to weapons factories and overseen several weapons tests.

 

In March, he watched the launch of an anti-aircraft missile system, suggesting Russian help in updating the North’s air defences. He also viewed AI-powered attack drones. Experts say that just improving drone capabilities would help reduce the conventional weapons gap with South Korea.

New naval power

In April, Kim and his daughter Kim Ju-ae attended the launch of North Korea’s first naval destroyer, the "Choe Hyon". He later observed its missile tests. One of the missiles resembled Russia’s nuclear-capable 3M22 Zircon cruise missile. Kim also confirmed that a nuclear-powered submarine was being developed.

 

In early May, Kim visited a tank factory and announced that outdated armoured vehicles were being replaced. He later praised a fourfold increase in artillery shell production — an important export to Russia.

 

He also observed a MiG-29 fighter jet firing an air-to-air missile, a stark contrast from the days when the North could barely fly due to fuel and spare part shortages. According to Lee Sung-joon, a South Korean military spokesperson, many of North Korea’s new weapons indicate direct Russian assistance.

Evading sanctions through Russia

The UN has banned arms trade with North Korea. However, cooperation with Russia has helped Pyongyang bypass sanctions and get the technology it needs, according to a report from the Institute for National Security Strategy.

 

Nevertheless, there is doubt over how much sensitive technology Russia is willing to share. North Korea has repeatedly failed to launch military satellites. A nuclear-powered submarine would require a compact reactor — something Moscow may hesitate to provide. “It’s the most dangerous weapon North Korea has unveiled so far,” said Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification.

 

Even if Russia never gives that final piece of technology, the possibility alone gives Kim more leverage. North Korean state media has already shown part of what it claimed was a nuclear submarine under construction.