Putin orders army expansion as Zelenskyy warns Russia preparing to deploy 10,000 North Korean troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated that North Korea is preparing to deploy an additional 10,000 troops to Russia, bringing the total number of North Korean troops on Russian soil to over 8,000. The Ukrainian leader cited "new data" and said that these troops are being prepared for training and eventual deployment.

In August, Zelenskiy had warned that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers could be sent to fight alongside Russia. He had also called for South Korea to offer support to Ukraine's air defense. South Korea had responded by announcing a $100 million aid package for Ukraine, though it did not include military assistance. The comments by Zelenskiy came after a recent dispute between Seoul and Kyiv over the transfer of two North Korean soldiers to South Korea, which Seoul had expressed regret over due to a confidentiality agreement.

North Korea has reportedly sent between 14,000 to 15,000 troops to assist Russia in its war in Ukraine since 2024, primarily stationed in the Kursk region to counter Ukrainian advances. Additionally, Pyongyang has supplied Russia with an array of military equipment including artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems, and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.