Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Russia wants to bring in 30,000 North Korean troops to conflict
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- Zelenskiy said Russia wants to bring in another 30,000 North Korean troops to its more than four-year-old conflict, on top of the estimated 14,000 already sent to fight in 2024
- Russia's Voronezh region has been preparing since June to receive the new North Korean contingent, according to Zelenskiy's Saturday video address
- North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk Region in 2024 under a mutual defense pact to help Moscow repel a major Ukrainian incursion
- North Korea is preparing to supply Russia with new launchers for ballistic missiles, Zelenskiy said, a capability that extends the partnership beyond ground troops
- Zelenskiy warned the deepening military cooperation gives North Korea real combat experience and helps it improve its weapons, posing a threat to 'every country in Asia that lies within range of North Korean missiles'
- Ukraine vowed to respond to the North Korean troop build-up, though Zelenskiy did not detail specific countermeasures in his address
Why it matters: Reported 30,000 additional North Korean troops would more than triple the estimated 14,000 already deployed under Russia's 2024 mutual defense pact with Pyongyang. The Voronezh build-up — paired with new ballistic missile launchers — gives North Korea real combat experience improving its weapons, a benefit Zelenskiy says threatens countries across Asia.
