A record number of North Korean citizens have entered Russia for educational purposes.

In 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 3,200 residents of North Korea entered Russia, citing education as the purpose of their visit.

"Mediazona" highlights that the quotas for students from North Korea remain low. As of April, official data indicated that approximately 130 students from North Korea were studying in Russia. The Ministry of Education and Science reported that over a hundred applications from North Korean citizens were submitted for the following year.

The increase in the number of students from North Korea coincided with reports from Western and South Korean intelligence regarding the deployment of North Korean military personnel to Russia. According to various sources, around 10,000 North Korean soldiers may be present in the Kursk region. Ukraine reported that at the beginning of November, its armed forces engaged in their first battle with North Korean military personnel.

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have commented on the information suggesting that North Korean troops may be involved in combat operations against Ukraine.