Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is preparing to receive about 30,000 North Korean soldiers and additional ballistic missiles, while also renovating facilities at its Sohae launch site for a possible military reconnaissance satellite launch.

Zelensky did not specify when the troops or missiles would arrive. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov did not comment on the remarks.

North Korea previously sent an estimated 15,000 soldiers to Russia, which supported Russian operations in Kursk Oblast and performed rear area functions. The new deployments are intended to replace Russian battlefield casualties and are likely to provide economic benefits to North Korea.

Ukrainian Military Intelligence reported that North Korea has supplied over 100 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles to Russia, with at least 80 already used.

Satellite imagery shows that North Korea is renovating launch facilities at Sohae and may conduct a rocket engine test in early July, indicating preparations for its first military reconnaissance satellite launch since 2024.

North Korea is also expanding port facilities at Rason and Nampo to support larger surface combatants and to create basing infrastructure for a nascent green‑water navy. Worker camps have been constructed near the Rajin Shipyard, and the guided‑missile destroyer Kang Kon was towed to Rason for repairs after a failed launch and partial capsizing in May 2025.

Kim Jong Un has set a goal of building two Choe Hyon‑class guided‑missile destroyers each year through 2030 and has suggested a target of two 10,000‑ton cruisers per year, although it is unclear whether this is in addition to the destroyer goal.

North Korea’s naval expansion aims to protect vessels from enemy attack, enable operations beyond its immediate waters, and secure sea lines of communication, though its surface fleet remains inferior to South Korean and United States fleets.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui visited Moscow and met with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, confirming North Korea’s continued support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and Russia’s support for North Korea’s security objectives.

Lavrov stated that Russia no longer supports denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and state media said Russia backs North Korea’s efforts to defend itself against hostile acts.

Bilateral trade between North Korea and the People’s Republic of China reached $1.5 billion in the first half of 2026, the highest level since 2017, and a new Yalu River Bridge is expected to open by the end of 2026.

Pyongyang invited Russian and Chinese youth to the Songdowon International Children’s Camp for the first time since 2025, a move that reflects improved ties with both countries.

South Korea detained the cargo ship Prada, registered in Tanzania, at the port of Pyeongtaek on suspicion of exporting North Korean coal and iron ore in violation of United Nations sanctions. South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea shipped at least 1.5 million tons of coal to China in 2025, a fivefold increase since 2019, partly due to the termination of a UN sanctions monitoring body and the resumption of trade after the COVID‑19 pandemic.

South Korean Minister of Unification Chung Dong‑young announced the “Seven Major Reforms,” calling for a peace‑first approach, a halt to North Korean nuclear production before full denuclearization, and reduced drone flights near the inter‑Korean border. North Korea has rejected dialogue proposals and declared denuclearization a final and irreversible matter.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s approval ratings remained low in July, fluctuating between 46 and 48 percent, with disapproval ratings exceeding approval ratings for the first time since his inauguration. Party support for the president varied, with the ruling Democratic Party showing higher approval than the opposition People Power Party.