In 2024, a record number of DPRK citizens entered Russia 'for educational purposes'.

From July to September 2024, 3,765 DPRK citizens entered Russia to study. This is a record figure, as only 3.2 thousand students from North Korea came to Russia in the entire year of 2019. Currently, about 130 students from the DPRK are studying in Russia, and over 100 applications for future academic years have been received. In October 2024, cases of North Korean military deployment to Russia became known. Ukraine reported that 12,000 military personnel from the DPRK arrived in Russia for training at five training grounds. There were also reports that eight thousand strength structures from North Korea are located in Russia's Kursk region, poised to assist the Russian army in fighting against Ukraine. According to The New York Times, soldiers from the DPRK are conducting operational actions to find vulnerabilities in Ukrainian defenses. Japan received information about the presence of thousands of North Korean military personnel in Russia and is concerned about such developments. Local residents report that Russians are trying to disguise North Korean soldiers and place them near the city of Sudzha.