Zelensky: Over 8,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory; Putin orders army increase
Zelensky alleges North Korean personnel are being prepared for deployment in Russia while Putin signed a decree on 28 September increasing active forces to 1.55 million.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 8,000 North Korean soldiers are already on Russian territory and that preparations are under way to deploy another 10,000. He said the troops are being selected for training and for deployment inside Russia.
Claims of North Korean personnel and Russian troop expansion
At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an increase in the size of the Russian army to 1.55 million active military personnel, according to the presidential decree of 28 September. The order comes as both Russia and Ukraine continue to suffer heavy losses in the war in Ukraine.
With this expansion, the total number of the Russian armed forces will reach 2,441,630 members. Of them, 1,550,000 are active military personnel, which represents an increase of 15,500.
The two announcements — Zelensky’s claims about North Korean troops and Putin’s decree on force size — add to international concern about the scale and duration of the conflict, and raise questions about the sources and timing of manpower being brought into the theatre.
Western capitals and analysts will likely review both the allegation of North Korean deployments and the Russian presidential decree to assess the short- and medium-term implications for military operations and regional security.
Photo: DPA)
