Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that North Korea was preparing to deploy 10,000 additional troops to Russia, alongside more than 8,000 North Korean soldiers whom he said were already on Russian territory. Zelenskyy said “new data” had emerged about the deployment of North Korean forces to Russia.
North Korean forces selected for deployment to Russia
In a post on X, he added that the troops “are being selected for training and subsequent deployment to Russia”, without specifying a timetable. The Ukrainian president said in August that the number of North Korean soldiers who could be sent to fight alongside Russia could reach 50,000. He also called on South Korea to provide Ukraine with air-defence support.
In July, Seoul announced a $100 million aid package for Kyiv, but excluded lethal weapons. Zelenskyy’s remarks came after a dispute between South Korea and Ukraine following his announcement last week that two captured North Korean soldiers had been transferred to South Korea.
Estimates of troop numbers and military support
According to these estimates, most of the troops were deployed in Russia’s Kursk region to help repel a Ukrainian incursion. Ukrainian and independent assessments indicate that Pyongyang’s support for Moscow was not limited to sending troops, but also included millions of artillery and mortar shells.
The supplies also included ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to those assessments.
