Mick Hartley

North Korea, according to the Daily NK, is boosting its military aid to Russia.

North Korea has intensified its military cooperation with Russia through new orders detailing specific commitments of weapons, troops, and technological collaboration, Daily NK has learned.

A source in the North Korean military told Daily NK recently that the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Central Military Commission issued detailed orders to multiple military organizations on Feb. 2. The directives, finalized the previous day, went to the Defense Ministry’s General Bureau of Equipment, the WPK Munitions Industry Department, the Second Economic Committee, the Missile General Bureau, and the Combat Training Bureau of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) General Staff Department.

These organizations have begun implementing the orders, which outline specific roles for each body. “The Defense Ministry’s General Bureau of Equipment and Second Economic Committee will handle shell production and export, while the Missile General Bureau and Munitions Industry Department’s technology division will manage military technology cooperation,” the source explained. “The Combat Training Bureau of the KPA General Staff Department is responsible for troop preparation.”

According to the source, the Defense Ministry and Second Economic Committee are working to deliver hundreds of thousands of 152mm and 122mm shells to Russia before March ends. The shipment will also include hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles, including tactical guided missiles (KN-23) and super-large multiple rocket launchers (K-24).

The scope of military assistance reflects a strengthening comprehensive strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia. With Russian forces facing weapons shortages, the continued supply of both armaments and troops from North Korea could significantly impact the war’s trajectory.

The troops haven't turned out to be much use, so I guess this is the next step. But will the hardware be any better than the soldiers?

And what about those useless troops? Well…

North Korea’s Seventh General Bureau has launched a recruitment campaign to send soldiers for construction work in Russia, Daily NK has learned.

A source in North Korea told Daily NK recently that the initiative began following orders from the Central Committee on Feb. 4. “The Seventh General Bureau is working with Namgang Trading Company on this recruitment drive, which started Feb. 6 and will continue for four months,” the source said.

The program appears to address Russia’s construction worker shortage, a consequence of its ongoing war with Ukraine. According to the source, North Korean authorities approached Moscow in late 2024 with a proposal to send active-duty soldiers to Russian construction projects. Russian officials approved the plan in early February.

The bureau aims to select 1,000 soldiers who have served at least three years, organizing them into three groups of roughly 300 each. These units will primarily work at construction sites in Vladivostok, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk.

“This initiative is part of the military’s broader effort to meet government foreign currency quotas,” the source explained. The bureau plans to recruit and train multiple groups of soldiers for deployment to Russian construction sites before June’s end….

North Korean leadership expects significant economic benefits. “Party officials anticipate a substantial increase in foreign currency earnings during the second half of this year if deployment proceeds as planned,” the source noted. “They see this military construction initiative as a milestone in North Korea-Russia economic cooperation.”

If the quality of construction meets the usual standards of North Korean workmanship, the citizens of Vladivostok, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk may not be too enthused with the results.