North Korea sends thousands of soldiers to Ukraine after Russian commanders assassinated

Recent events in the ongoing war have shown a major rise in Ukraine’s attempts to attack high-ranking Russian military leaders, along with the noticeable promise to send 30,000 more North Korean troops to help Russian forces. These developments are a crucial point in the long-running war as tactics get more aggressive and countries become more involved.

As reported by Reuters, Major General Mikhail Gudkov, the Deputy Head of the Russian Navy, was confirmed dead after a Ukrainian attack in Russia’s southern Kursk region. Gudkov, who had earlier commanded a brigade fighting against Ukraine, was killed during fighting in a border area. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed his death, saying he died while “working” in the region.

Governor Oleg Kozhemyako of Primorye, where Gudkov’s former 155th Marine Brigade was based, also confirmed his death, stating he died “while doing his duty as an officer alongside his fellow soldiers.” Gudkov reportedly kept visiting marine positions even after becoming Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. Unofficial reports from Russian and Ukrainian military Telegram channels say Gudkov was killed along with about 10 other soldiers in a Ukrainian missile strike on a command post in Korenevo, Kursk region.

North Korea adds more soldiers to fight as Russian commanders are killed

Gudkov’s death is the latest in a string of confirmed high-ranking Russian military deaths since the full-scale war started in February 2022. At least ten other senior Russian commanders have been killed in battle or assassinated by Ukraine.

Several high-ranking Russian officers and many more have died in Ukraine since 2022. Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky, 47, was killed by a sniper near Kyiv in February 2022. Vladimir Frolov, 55, died in Mariupol in April 2022. Retired Major General Kanamat Botashev, 63, was shot down over Luhansk in May 2022. Roman Kutuzov, 53, died in combat in Luhansk in June 2022.

Major General Sergei Goryachev, 52, was killed in a missile strike in Zaporizhzhia in June 2023. Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov, 51, died in a Ukrainian strike in July 2023. Major General Vladimir Zavadsky, 45, reportedly died on a landmine in Kharkiv in November 2023. That same month, Major General Pavel Klimenko, 47, was killed in a drone attack in Donetsk.

In December 2024, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, 54, was assassinated in Moscow by a car bomb, with Ukraine claiming responsibility. Most recently, in April 2025, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, 58, died in a car explosion near Moscow, which Ukraine’s intelligence service reportedly orchestrated.

Putin won’t stop anytime soon because North Korea will start sending troops to Ukraine to assist Russian forces. This development signals greater outside involvement in the war and a stronger military partnership between Russia and North Korea. It seems that the ongoing losses will only lead to more fighting in this war.