Russian author Zakhar Prilepin told the weekly Arguments and Facts that North Korea has dispatched 95 battalions to Russia—suggesting a total troop count far exceeding the 14,000 previously reported by Ukraine and its allies.
“Skeptics might argue that North Korea sent us 95 battalions out of their own necessity. But in reality, they were managing fine without this. There was a genuine debate in North Korea about whether to get involved and assist Russia, but they decided it was necessary,” Prilepin told the Russian outlet.
According to Ukrainian officials cited by Reuters in mid-April, North Korea had sent around 14,000 troops to Russia, including a 3,000-strong reinforcement to replace those wounded or killed in combat in Russia’s Kursk region. Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence reported last autumn that 11,000 North Korean soldiers had been deployed, of whom approximately 4,000 were either wounded or killed. Later assessments noted an additional 1,000 to 3,000 troops sent as reinforcements.
Prilepin’s claims, however, suggest a significantly larger deployment, potentially placing the number of North Korean troops involved in Russia’s war effort at between 20,000 and 23,000.
