Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has intensified calls for tougher international sanctions against Russia and North Korea, following Pyongyang's unprecedented admission of deploying troops to support Russian military operations.
On April 28, 2025, North Korea officially confirmed sending military forces to Russia's Kursk Oblast, characterizing their involvement as defending Russian territory against Ukrainian incursions. The deployment was authorized by Kim Jong Un under a 2024 strategic partnership agreement with Russia.
"Both Putin's and Kim Jong-un's regimes have proven they cannot be trusted, having previously denied any such military cooperation," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi during a social media broadcast. He warned that the strengthening alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang poses risks beyond Ukraine's borders, threatening stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
The spokesperson highlighted concerning evidence of North Korea's weapons advancement through battlefield testing in Ukraine. "Their ballistic missiles have evolved from initially inaccurate systems to much more precise weapons," Tykhyi noted.
North Korea has become an invaluable partner in Russia's war effort, providing up to half of Moscow's ammunition requirements, including millions of artillery shells, rockets, and missiles. Despite early struggles, North Korean troops deployed to Kursk have gained combat experience and improved their coordination with Russian forces.
The United States has expressed alarm over these developments, while the European Union described the military cooperation as a sign of Russia's desperation. Ukraine continues pushing for enhanced international measures to restrict both countries' access to Western technology that could be used in military equipment.
The admission comes amid ongoing tensions in Russia's border regions, with Ukraine maintaining active operations in the area while disputing Russian claims of having fully secured the Kursk Oblast. Meanwhile, NATO has increased efforts to analyze Ukrainian combat experiences in preparation for potential threats from the strengthening Russia-North Korea military partnership.