Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed 50,000 North Korean soldiers have arrived in Russia to study the war in Ukraine. Another crater from a North Korean KN-23 ballistic missile was found in a field a short time later. North Korean soldiers have been deployed in the conflict | GETTYRussia continues to mount its onslaught against Ukraine despite more than 1.1 million soldiers being killed or wounded. Around 11,000 North Korean troops were stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast at the start of 2026, according to South Korean intelligence. However, around 6,000 North Korean soldiers have also died in the conflict as of March this year.