Russia wants to bring 30,000 North Korean troops into war, says Ukraine’s Zelensky

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 25 that Russia wanted to bring in 30,000 North Korean troops to take part in its more than four-year-old war and was already preparing to receive them.

Under a mutual defence pact, North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk region in 2024 to help Moscow beat back a major incursion into the region by Ukrainian forces.

“We also see Russia’s cooperation with North Korea. Russia wants to bring in another 30,000 North Korean troops,” Zelensky said, in his nightly video address.

“Preparations have been under way in Russia’s Voronezh region since June to receive them.”

Zelensky said North Korea was preparing to supply Russia with new launchers for ballistic missiles.

“This is a threat not only to Ukraine. Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons and gain real combat experience in using them,” he said.

“All of this poses a threat to every country in Asia that lies within range of North Korean missiles.”

Zelensky vowed that Ukraine would respond to that threat. REUTERS