This is stated in a report by the American Institute for the Study of War.
Analysts claim that the Russian leader continues to seek alternative ways to form troops to avoid "internal consequences" of a general mobilization or another wave of partial mobilization.
This issue has become particularly pressing for Putin following the start of the Ukrainian army's Kursk operation, as it has led to a need for new manpower, according to ISW.
However, Putin remains reluctant to implement a broader mobilization and is instead prepared to enlist North Korean personnel in the Russian army and resort to other irregular efforts to form troops.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, also reported that officials from the Russian Ministry of Defense pressed Putin to agree to a new wave of mobilization amid rising casualties. However, he rejected this idea, stating that only those who voluntarily signed military contracts should be sent to war.
In June, Russia and North Korea signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. It stipulates mutual military assistance in the event of aggression against Pyongyang or Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that North Korea supplies the Russian army with not only weapons but also personnel. Last year, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported the arrival of a limited contingent of North Korean soldiers, specifically engineering troops, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
And in early October of this year, Kyiv Post reported that as a result of a missile strike near the temporarily occupied Donetsk, six North Korean officers were killed.
The Washington Post reported that currently, several thousand soldiers from North Korea are undergoing training in Russia, and by the end of the year, they could be deployed to the front in Ukraine. The Kremlin denies that North Korean military personnel are participating on their side in the war against Ukraine.