Zelensky: Russia planning to deploy 30,000–50,000 North Korean troops
Zelensky says Pyongyang’s fighters are gaining modern‑war experience and that cooperation with Moscow could affect security beyond Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia plans to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean troops on Russian soil, a development he described as a significant escalation of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
"If at the start people spoke about hundreds, then about thousands, now a decision has been made to have 30 to 50 thousand North Koreans on the territory of Russia," Zelensky said in an interview with a Ukrainian phone marathon.
Zelensky argued that North Korean forces are acquiring experience in modern warfare that Pyongyang could later apply in other conflicts or crises in the Asia‑Pacific region. He said Moscow has been granting North Korea access to up‑to‑date military knowledge, technologies and battlefield experience.
Implications beyond Ukraine
The Ukrainian president also reminded listeners that North Korea has supplied ammunition and rockets to Russia that were used in the war in Ukraine. Reuters recently reported that a roughly 90‑member North Korean missile unit was deployed in Russia’s Voronezh region with the capability to deliver ballistic missiles and launchers.
Previous reports have put the number of North Korean personnel sent to Russia at about 14,000–15,000, with some reportedly remaining in the Kursk area. If Zelensky’s new estimate of 30,000–50,000 materializes, it would mark a sharp rise in Pyongyang’s direct military support for Moscow. The Russian government has not confirmed this latest figure.
Separately, Kyiv is seeking to deepen cooperation with South Korea, particularly on air‑defence systems and unmanned aircraft — areas Zelensky said are of interest to Ukraine as it seeks to bolster its capabilities.
Photo: Принтскрин од видео на Зеленски
