Zelenskyy says North Korea to send 30,000 more troops
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says more North Koreans to be sent to Russia (Image: The Presidential Office of Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is seeking to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops and that preparations are underway to accommodate them in Russia’s Voronezh region.
The Kremlin declined to comment, neither confirming nor denying the claim.
In a video address released on July 25, Zelenskyy said preparations to house the North Koreans began in June. He also said North Korea was preparing to supply Russia with additional ballistic missile launchers.
Two days later, in an interview with the British Sky News broadcaster, Zelenskyy repeated the claim, adding that Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia was preparing to mobilize an additional 300,000 to 500,000 personnel in late September or early October.
Asked about Zelenskyy’s remarks on July 27, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “I do not think there is any need to comment,” adding that Russia’s military plans were not a matter for the Ukrainian president to discuss. Russia has not separately announced whether additional North Korean troops will be deployed or how many personnel may be involved.
The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and their participation in fighting in the Kursk region have already been officially acknowledged by both Pyongyang and Moscow.
North Korea is believed to have sent around 14,000 troops to Russia in 2024. They were deployed alongside Russian forces in operations in Russia’s western Kursk region after Ukrainian troops crossed into Russian territory.
The bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed two years ago stipulates that if either country comes under armed attack and enters a state of war, the other must provide military assistance. Russia completed the treaty’s ratification process in November of the same year.
High-level contacts between North Korea and Russia also took place before Zelenskyy’s remarks about a possible new deployment. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on July 19. The Kremlin said Putin expressed gratitude for North Korea’s support.
Choe told Putin that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had reaffirmed his commitment to further developing relations with Russia. Details of their discussions were not disclosed.
Choe later held the third round of strategic dialogue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Korean Central News Agency reported that the two sides discussed implementing the 2024 treaty, expanding high-level exchanges and coordinating their foreign policies.
According to KCNA, Russia expressed support for measures related to North Korea’s security and development, while North Korea reiterated its unwavering support for Russia’s position on the war in Ukraine. The agency said the two sides shared the same views on the issues discussed.
It has not been independently confirmed whether the additional 30,000 North Korean troops will be deployed or when such a deployment might occur.
Following Zelenskyy’s remarks, Ukrainian officials also said a North Korean-made ballistic missile had again been used in the war.
Citing preliminary information, Zelenskyy said on July 30 that Russia appeared to have used a North Korean missile in an attack on the village of Radushne, near Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine. A Ukrainian military source told Reuters that radar had detected a flight trajectory consistent with a North Korean KN-23 or KN-24 short-range ballistic missile. An examination of the missile debris is continuing.
Russia has used North Korea’s KN-23 and KN-24 missiles in attacks on Ukraine since late 2023. A Ukrainian military source said the North Korean missiles carry larger warheads and have longer ranges than Russia’s Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, but are less accurate.
Taesung offers informed perspectives on North Korean society, grounded in years of experience within a key state-run institution. After defecting to South Korea in 2024, he now focuses on providing analysis of the country.
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