Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has raised the alarm about a possible increase in North Korea's involvement in the war in Ukraine, claiming that up to 50 North Korean soldiers could be deployed on Russian territory.
In a reaction on the X platform, Zelensky said that a decision has been made to deploy 30 to 50 North Korean soldiers to Russia. The new figure is higher than the estimate of about 30 troops that the Ukrainian president had previously made.
Zelensky did not provide details on the source of the information nor did he specify in which areas of Russia the North Korean troops are expected to be deployed.
The Ukrainian president also said that Kiev authorities have identified missiles manufactured in North Korea that were used on Ukrainian territory. He did not disclose the locations where the weapons were discovered.
Zelensky's claims come at a time when military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has deepened significantly. Ukraine and its allies have accused North Korea of providing military support to Russia, including supplying munitions and missiles.
If the figure mentioned by the Ukrainian president is confirmed, a deployment of tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers would constitute a significant expansion of Pyongyang's involvement in the war in Ukraine and raise concerns about the escalation of the conflict.
