Zelensky: Russia and North Korea Preparing to Deploy Up to 50,000 North Korean Troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia and North Korea are preparing to send up to 50,000 North Korean troops to take part in the war against Ukraine. He issued the warning over the weekend, urging Seoul to step up cooperation with Kyiv.

"North Koreans keep showing up in Russia from time to time. We see it, we know it. First it was hundreds, then thousands, and now a decision has been made to deploy between thirty and fifty thousand North Koreans," Zelensky wrote on social media. He did not disclose the source of this information.

A Threat Beyond Ukraine

According to the Ukrainian president, North Korea, having gained experience in modern warfare and access to Russian weaponry, could pose a threat to other countries in Asia as well. Last month, Zelensky had already reported that Russia expects to receive around 30,000 North Korean troops and has been preparing to host them in the Voronezh region in southwestern Russia since June.

The Ukrainian president stressed that Russia is helping North Korea master modern warfare methods, upgrading its weaponry and sharing battlefield experience.

Thousands Killed in the Kursk Region

Earlier, under a mutual defense agreement with Moscow, North Korea had already sent around 14,000 troops to the Kursk region, where they helped Russian forces repel a major Ukrainian offensive into the area.

According to estimates, North Korean military losses have exceeded 6,000 personnel, though neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially confirmed these figures. According to the BBC's Russian service, which works with the independent Mediazona project to analyze open-source data on Russian losses, 2,304 North Korean soldiers have died fighting against Ukraine.

Missiles and Shells from Pyongyang

According to Ukrainian military intelligence, a North Korean missile unit is already stationed in western Russia, potentially equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers capable of striking Ukraine. Ukraine is currently facing a shortage of air defense missiles, and Russia, according to Ukrainian sources, is trying to exploit this by intensifying ballistic missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, which are especially difficult to intercept.

According to Ukrainian and independent estimates, North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar shells, as well as long-range artillery systems and ballistic missiles that experts describe as North Korea's equivalent of Russia's Iskander-M. North Korea's embassy in Russia and South Korea's Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz