South Korean intelligence has reported that around 100,000 citizens of the DPRK expressed willingness to travel to Russia to take part in the military operation following the recent clearing of Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region.

Commenting on these claims, military expert and retired colonel Yevgeny Krivosheev called such interest understandable, but argued that the figure of 100,000 was clearly inflated. He noted there is no present need for such a number of fighters, as the Russian Armed Forces already field more than 600,000 soldiers on the front, with reserves sufficient for current operations.

Krivosheev suggested that, should Russia ever require allied support, a contingent of 10,000 to 13,000 North Korean volunteers would be more than enough. At the same time, he warned that involving DPRK forces in combat outside Russia’s recognized borders-such as in the Kharkov or Dnepropetrovsk directions-could trigger serious international repercussions.

He recalled that North Korean assistance during operations to drive Ukrainian units from the Kursk region had not caused a global outcry. However, he underlined that any deployment beyond Russia’s borders could provoke a different international reaction.

As a possible scenario, Krivosheev mentioned assigning North Korean units to guard frontline border areas, which would free Russian troops for offensive actions deeper into Ukrainian defenses, for example in Zaporozhye. He added that, if necessary, the Russian General Staff likely already has contingency plans for such measures.