N. Korea considering expanding troop deployment to Russia to 50,000 by late November

North Korea is considering sending additional troops to Russia to bring its total deployment to around 50,000 by late November, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Kyodo News reported Thursday, citing data from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate, that North Korea and Russia are reviewing a plan for the additional deployment.

According to the data, the two countries are considering expanding the number of North Korean troops stationed in Russia to 50,000 by late November and positioning them across three western Russian provinces bordering Ukraine.

The plan appears intended to replace Russian forces currently stationed in those border regions with North Korean troops, freeing up Russian units for redeployment to the front lines in Ukraine.

Ukrainian intelligence analysts assess that Russia is seeking to seize the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine by the end of this year through this arrangement.

An official from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate said the plan is expected to receive final approval at the leadership level between North Korea and Russia.

The assessment aligns with claims Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made recently — that Russia wants an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea and is preparing to station them near the border.

Zelensky first made the claim on July 25 via X, formerly Twitter, writing that "Russia wants 30,000 additional troops from North Korea. Since June, preparations have been underway in Russia's Voronezh region to accommodate them." He has repeated the assertion since.

In a television interview he shared on social media Sunday, Zelensky said: "At first we were talking about hundreds, then it grew to thousands, and now a decision has been made to deploy 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory."

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate estimates that approximately 9,500 North Korean ground troops are currently deployed inside Russia.

North Korea has also recently sent 90 personnel from a missile unit to Russia's Voronezh province, according to reports.

North Korea has additionally supplied Russia with 40 more ballistic missiles, which may have been used in Russian strikes on Ukraine on July 30 and Tuesday.

Ukraine estimates that North Korea has provided Russia with approximately 150 missiles in total since last August.