Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia and that another 10,000 are being selected and trained for deployment to support Moscow.
Zelenskyy, citing new information from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said the additional North Korean personnel are undergoing preparations before being sent to Russia. Reuters reported that North Korea has deployed an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024, with many of them stationed in the Kursk region, where Russian and Ukrainian forces have fought major battles.
The Ukrainian president also alleged that Russia is providing North Korea with military technology in return for Pyongyang’s support. He specifically said North Korea has established production of Shahed-type attack drones with Russian technical assistance. Ukraine has described the cooperation as an expanding military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The claims come after Ukraine’s military intelligence said in August that a North Korean missile unit had begun deploying to western Russia. A Ukrainian intelligence official told Reuters that the unit, comprising about 90 North Korean personnel, could be equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers and was expected to be based in Russia’s Voronezh region.
North Korea’s military support for Russia has expanded since the two countries signed a mutual defense pact in 2024. Pyongyang has supplied Russia with artillery ammunition, missiles and other military equipment, while its troops have gained battlefield experience through participation in the war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian and Western assessments.
The latest allegations also come amid continued Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say Russia is increasingly using faster, jet-powered drones, making them more difficult for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept.
Neither the reported figure of 10,000 additional troops nor Ukraine’s claim about Russian assistance in North Korean Shahed-type drone production has been independently verified. The reported developments, if confirmed, would indicate a further expansion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and could add another dimension to the international security implications of the Ukraine war.
