Zelensky Claims North Korea Preparing to Send 10,000 More Troops to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that preparations are under way to send about 10,000 more North Korean soldiers to Russia, in addition to the thousands already there. According to him, the new soldiers are being selected and trained. If the deployment goes ahead, it would indicate an expansion of Pyongyang's involvement in the war and could intensify the debate over Russia's foreign military support.

More than 8,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia, says Zelensky

In a social media post on Monday, Zelensky said more than 8,000 North Korean soldiers were present on Russian soil. He claimed that about 10,000 additional soldiers were being prepared to be sent to Russia. According to Zelensky, the soldiers are being selected for training and subsequent deployment in Russia.

The claim comes at a time when military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has already grown considerably. According to estimates by Ukraine and South Korea, North Korea has sent around 14,000 to 15,000 soldiers to help Russia since 2024. A large number of them were deployed in Russia's Kursk region, where fighting intensified after an incursion by Ukrainian forces.

Weapons support as well

North Korea's role is not described as limited to sending soldiers. According to Ukrainian and independent assessments, Pyongyang has also supplied Russia with hundreds of thousands of artillery and mortar shells, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin had also publicly mentioned the help provided by North Korean soldiers.

Row between South Korea and Ukraine

Zelensky's latest statement comes at a time when differences have emerged between Seoul and Kyiv over North Korean prisoners of war. Ukraine had sent two North Korean soldiers, captured while fighting for Russia, to South Korea. South Korea objected when Zelensky made the transfer public, saying it had been agreed that the process would be kept confidential in view of the soldiers' safety. The Ukrainian President's Office denied any such agreement.

South Korea had also announced 10 crore dollars in aid for Ukraine in July, although it did not include lethal weapons. Against this backdrop, the possible new deployment of North Korean troops has increased discussion on whether the Asian dimension of the Russia-Ukraine war could deepen further.