Ukraine's Zelenskiy says North Korea prepares to deploy another 10,000 troops to Russia — SkimNews
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- Zelenskyy said more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently on Russian territory, with preparations underway to deploy another 10,000 who are "being selected for training and subsequent deployment to Russia."
- Zelenskyy said in August that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers could ultimately be sent to fight for Russia, and called on South Korea to provide air defense support for Ukraine.
- South Korea announced a $100 million aid package for Ukraine in July, though it excluded lethal weapons.
- Seoul and Kyiv are at odds after Zelenskyy announced last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, which Seoul said violated a confidentiality agreement; South Korea also protested what it called a false Ukrainian statement denying such an agreement existed.
- North Korea has sent an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine since 2024, with most deployed in the Kursk region to help repel a Ukrainian incursion.
- Pyongyang has also supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems, and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.
Why it matters: The Seoul-Kyiv diplomatic friction over the POW transfer complicates Ukraine's push for deeper South Korean backing — including the air defense weapons Zelenskyy is requesting — at a moment when North Korean involvement in Russia's war is expanding from 8,000 boots on the ground toward a stated ceiling of 50,000.
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