Russia preparing to receive additional North Korean troops, Zelensky says
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 25 that Russia is preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops to support its war against Ukraine, as military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang continues to deepen.
"Russia wants to receive another 30,000 troops from North Korea," Zelensky said in his nightly address. "Since June, preparations have been underway in Russia's Voronezh region to receive them."
Zelensky added that North Korea is preparing to supply Russia with additional military equipment.
"North Korea is also preparing to transfer additional launchers for ballistic missiles to Russia. This is a threat not only to Ukraine," Zelensky said.
"Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons, and gain real combat experience in using them. All of this is a threat to everyone in Asia who is within range of North Korean missiles."
North Korea has become one of Russia's key military partners since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In addition to supplying ammunition and other weapons, Pyongyang has deployed troops to support Russian operations.
Ukraine has said around 12,000 North Korean soldiers participated in Russia's 2024 counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast aimed at pushing Ukrainian forces out of the region.
The two authoritarian countries have steadily expanded cooperation as Russia has become increasingly isolated from the West over its war against Ukraine. In addition to military assistance, North Korea, alongside China and Iran, has been linked to economic activities in Russian-occupied Ukraine.
