OMM Redaksiyası
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently stationed in Russia.
According to Zelensky, preparations are underway to send another 10,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia. He said recent intelligence indicates that North Korean troops are being selected for training and subsequent deployment to Russia.
North Korea-Russia military cooperation
According to assessments by Ukraine and South Korea, North Korea has sent approximately 14,000-15,000 troops to Russia since 2024 in support of Moscow. Some of them were deployed to the region during fighting linked to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine’s Kursk region.
Ukraine and independent analysts accuse North Korea of supplying Russia with millions of artillery and mortar shells, as well as ballistic missiles and other weapons systems.
In August, Zelensky said up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers could eventually be sent to support Russian forces and called on South Korea to increase assistance to Ukraine, particularly in the area of air defense.
Differences between Seoul and Kyiv
South Korea has provided non-lethal assistance to Ukraine. As part of this effort, it announced a $100 million aid package in July. However, Seoul has not agreed to send weapons to Ukraine.
The issue has also caused tensions between Kyiv and Seoul. Last week, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had handed over two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Seoul said it regretted the public disclosure of the information, citing an agreement that the transfer would remain confidential.
South Korea later also objected to a statement by the Ukrainian Presidential Administration denying that such an agreement existed.
