Russia could exchange North Korean soldiers for Su-27 and MiG-29 jets. What quantity of aircraft could be involved in this potential deal?

The Russian Federation may have transferred MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft to North Korea. This is likely a "payment" for North Korean soldiers.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the portal Aviation Week and Defense Express.

Transfer of Aircraft to North Korea

The Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, stated that Russia has reached an agreement with North Korea to send MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets.

He also believes that currently, North Korean soldiers are not involved in active combat operations in Ukraine but are deployed in combat zones.

He thinks that in addition to aircraft, North Korea is likely seeking other capabilities, including ballistic missile technologies, especially systems with return capabilities, as well as new submarine technologies and air defense systems.

How Many Aircraft Could North Korea Receive

At the same time, Defense Express reminded that there were earlier discussions about North Korea potentially receiving Su-35 aircraft from Russia. This was indicated by Kim Jong Un's visit to an aircraft factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where Su-35s are produced.

However, the publication believes that when assessing the current state of North Korea's aviation, the transfer of MiG-29 and Su-27 jets would represent a significant qualitative enhancement.

According to open data, North Korea has only 18 MiG-29s and 34 Su-25s from relatively modern samples. These aircraft were obtained from the USSR back in the 1980s. It is also known that North Korea may have around fifty MiG-23s, up to 200 MiG-21s, and about 200 MiG-17s and MiG-19s.

At the same time, it is not precisely known which of these aircraft are capable of flying.

According to Defense Express, an important question is how many of its own MiG-29s and Su-27s Russia can transfer to North Korea.

It is known that at the beginning of this year, Russia had 70 Soviet-era MiG-29/MiG-29UBs, 14 upgraded MiG-29SMTs, and two MiG-29UBTs. There were also 12 Su-27s and 18 Su-27UBs, 47 Su-27SMs, and 24 Su-27SM3s, in addition to 18 basic variant Su-27s possessed by the Russian Navy's naval aviation.

This indicates that the number of aircraft planned for transfer from Russia to North Korea could depend on the level of technological advancements in aviation that the Russians are willing to share with their North Korean "colleagues."

North Korean Soldiers in Russia

At the beginning of October, it became known that soldiers from North Korea had arrived in Russia. They were sent to the Kursk region, where combat operations are underway.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, North Korea wants to obtain technologies from Russia in exchange for soldiers. This concerns technologies in missile, nuclear, and other military programs.