Zelensky: Russia requested 30,000 additional troops from North Korea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia had requested an additional 30,000 North Korean soldiers to assist it in fighting against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy wrote on X, “Russia wants to obtain an additional 30,000 soldiers from North Korea. Since June, preparations have been underway to receive them in Russia’s Voronezh region,” which borders Ukraine.

He added, “This is not only a threat to Ukraine; Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons, and gain actual combat experience in using them. All of this poses a threat to everyone in Asia within the range of North Korean missiles.”

Zelenskyy’s remarks come days after a visit by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui to Moscow.

Following a meeting in Moscow between Choe and her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, official media in Pyongyang reported that the two countries reaffirmed their firm political will to enhance the long-term development of bilateral relations across various fields.

The Korean Central News Agency stated, “The North Korean side expressed its steadfast support for all of the Russian Federation’s domestic and foreign policies aimed at eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict, defending its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and upholding international justice.”

Relations between Pyongyang and Moscow have been growing closer since 2022 and the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In return, the isolated state has received financial, food, and fuel aid, as well as military technology from Moscow, according to experts.

Seoul estimates that around 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and it is reported that North Korean soldiers were instructed to commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner during battles.

In 2024, the two countries signed a military treaty stipulating that military assistance would be provided “without delay” if either party were attacked.