Zelenskyy says Russia seeks 30,000 extra North Korean troops for Ukraine war — SkimNews
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- Zelenskyy said Russia wants an additional 30,000 North Korean troops, with preparations underway in Russia's Voronezh region near the Ukrainian border since June.
- North Korea is also preparing to transfer additional ballistic missile launchers to Russia, according to Zelenskyy's late-Saturday post on X.
- South Korea estimates that some 2,000 North Korean troops have already been killed in the war since their 2024 deployment to help Russia hold the Kursk region against Ukraine's counter-offensive.
- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui visited Moscow this week, with state news agency KCNA reporting Pyongyang reaffirmed "invariable support" for Russia's policies to "eliminate the root cause of the Ukrainian dispute."
- Under a military assistance treaty signed in 2024, North Korea has received cash, military technology, food, and energy commodities in exchange for its military aid to Russia.
Why it matters: The 30,000-troop request builds on a 2024 military treaty and this week's Moscow visit by North Korean FM Choe Son Hui, deepening an exchange that pays Pyongyang in cash, technology, and — per Zelenskyy — real combat experience that he warns directly sharpens missile threats across Asia.
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