Kim Jong Un Reaps $22 Billion Windfall from Russian Alliance

The North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un secured up to $22 billion in foreign revenue between 2022 and 2025, largely driven by the mass export of munitions and troops to sustain Russia’s war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported. The staggering sum, which nearly quadruples Pyongyang’s revenue from the preceding four-year period, has provided Kim with unprecedented financial leverage despite severe United Nations sanctions.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “North Korea is in a stronger position than at any time in the last 35 years,” Andrei Lankov, a specialist in Korean studies and director of Korea Risk Group, told Bloomberg. Lankov likened the massive arms sales to Russia to winning the lottery, noting that the renewed support from Beijing and Moscow has effectively insulated the regime. When Moscow faced critical ammunition shortages following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Pyongyang’s vast domestic stockpiles of Soviet-era artillery became a highly lucrative resource. According to Ukrainian intelligence, North Korea supplied up to 50% of Russia’s requirements for 122mm and 152mm artillery shells by the end of 2025. Furthermore, Pyongyang generated significant revenue by deploying between 16,000 and 22,000 military personnel to Russia, receiving an estimated $2,000 per month for each soldier. Additional payments were reportedly made to the regime for troops killed in action. The Bank of Korea estimates that the influx of Russian cash and commodities spurred a 3.5% growth in the North Korean economy in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of economic expansion. Other Topics of Interest Ukrainian Attacks Threaten Mass Bankruptcies in Russia Russian entrepreneurs selling on Wildberries face a wave of bankruptcies after Ukrainian drone strikes destroyed 1.2 million square meters (12.9 million square feet) of warehouse capacity. Beyond arms sales, Kim has heavily diversified his revenue streams through illicit means. Blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs estimates that state-backed North Korean hacking groups are now responsible for over 70% of global cryptocurrency thefts, laundering the stolen funds through Chinese organized crime syndicates in exchange for offshore accounts. The Kremlin’s cash has been rapidly reinvested into North Korea’s military-industrial complex. Aided by Russian technological transfers, Pyongyang has dramatically accelerated its nuclear weapons program and recently unveiled two 5,000-metric-ton destroyers, marking a significant expansion of its naval capabilities. Missile unit deployed to Voronezh According to Andrii Cherniak, a representative of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, Russia is currently preparing to station a dedicated North Korean missile unit in its western Voronezh region, where it will be integrated into the 112th Missile Brigade. The unit comprises approximately 90 North Korean personnel and is expected to be equipped with six launchers and up to 120 ballistic missiles for strikes against Ukraine. Cherniak stated that Pyongyang recently delivered a fresh batch of around 40 KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. While less accurate than their Russian counterparts, the North Korean missiles boast a larger payload and have proven highly destructive. Following a nearly year-long pause, Russia recently resumed using North Korean missiles against Ukrainian civilian targets. On July 30, a Russian ballistic missile – which President Volodymyr Zelensky later identified as North Korean based on preliminary radar data – destroyed a residential home in the village of Radushne, Kryvyi Rih region. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.