Zelenskyy: North Korea to send up to 50,000 troops to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that North Korea plans to send between 30,000 and 50,000 soldiers to Russia to fight in Ukraine. Zelenskyy did not specify the source of this information but previously estimated in July that North Korea would send 30,000 troops to aid Moscow.

He also reported that Kyiv has found North Korean rockets on Ukrainian territory, though he did not reveal specific locations. "It is absolutely clear that North Korea will continue to gain experience in modern warfare, receive licenses from Russia and all kinds of military equipment," Zelenskyy wrote on the social media platform X. He believes North Korea will gain valuable combat experience and acquire Russian military technology.

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It is absolutely clear that North Korea will continue to gain experience in modern warfare, receive licenses from Russia and all kinds of military equipment.

Zelenskyy called on Seoul for closer cooperation, requesting South Korea's support for Ukraine's air defense. "We are ready to work on an agreement on drones and other areas. They have constitutional limitations. But we would like cooperation and count on it. Our diplomats are in contact," Zelenskyy stated. He expressed Ukraine's desire for collaboration on defense technologies, including drones.

The report comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in June 2024. This agreement includes a mutual assistance clause if either nation faces external aggression. North Korea has framed troop deployments as aid to a partner.

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We are ready to work on an agreement on drones and other areas. They have constitutional limitations. But we would like cooperation and count on it. Our diplomats are in contact.