Russia has deployed thousands of North Korean soldiers and weapons to "terrorize" Ukraine, a new report by UN members, which reveals "numerous illegal activities" and reveals Moscow's dependence on an isolated regime.

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) includes 11 UN member states, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, he said Kim Jong-un’s regime provided more than 11,000 soldiers, at least 100 ballistic missiles, “up to 9 million rounds of mixed shells and multiple rocket launcher ammunition” in 2024. ”

The report released Thursday said that such “illegal cooperation” “helps Moscow increase its capacity for missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure.” It also estimated that North Korea deployed another 3,000 soldiers to Russia between January and March 2025.

The report said Moscow is "improving missile guidance performance" by supporting Pyongyang's ballistic missile program. It added that Russia is believed to provide North Korea with “air defense equipment, air defense missiles and advanced electronic warfare equipment.”

MSMT said North Korea and Russia have violated UN Security Council resolutions, including arms transfer, Russian training of North Korean troops and provide North Korea with refined oil beyond UNSC restrictions.

"North Korea and Russia intend to continue and further deepen their military cooperation in order to violate relevant UN Security Council resolutions, at least for the foreseeable future."

North Korea first confirmed in April that its troops fought side by side with Russian troops in the war with Ukraine, saying they helped Moscow regain control of the Kursk region.

Kim Jong-un ordered troops to be deployed under a mutual defense agreement signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024, the Central Military Commission of North Korea said in a statement submitted by the state-run news agency KCNA. The treaty includes a vow to be attacked.

The statement said the action to regain control of Kursk had ended "victoriously" and that "a privilege to align with powerful countries such as the Russian Federation."

"Those who fight for justice are heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland," Kim said in April that North Korea "takes action in unity, justice and true comradeship."

North Korea and Russia both deny any transfer of weapons.

As Russian missile and drone strikes continue, Ukraine's Russian missile and drone strikes arrive, due to uncertainty over whether Kiev diplomats will participate in a new round of peace talks proposed by Moscow in Istanbul earlier next week.

Moscow said it was ready for peace negotiations as the battle continued and wanted to discuss what it called the "root cause" of the war, including Ukraine's demand for more territory and being disarmed and banned from military alliances with the West.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides were believed to have been wounded or killed in Europe's deadliest wars since World War II, although neither side published accurate casualties. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians also died as Russian troops were besieged and bombed Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian officials said Saturday that the Russian attack killed at least two people, including a 9-year-old girl. The country's air force reported that Russian forces launched about 109 drones and five missiles overnight until Saturday.

It was Friday when Andrii Yermak, senior adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced Friday that he was preparing to negotiate directly with Russia in Istanbul on Monday, but the Kremlin must first propose a promised memorandum outlining positions on more than three years of conflict.

Russia launched a war by invading its neighbors in 2022, now accounting for one fifth of Ukraine, he said it will not stop attacking until conditions are met first. The Kremlin demands that Ukraine never join NATO, accept the permanent "neutrality" between Moscow and the West, and end its demand for four territories for months after the war began.

Kiev said it was almost a surrender, and it would leave it defenseless in the face of future Russian attacks.