Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that North Korea is planning to deploy up to 50,000 troops to Russia to support the war effort, according to Israel Hayom's Ariel Kahana. The claim, which has not been independently verified, escalates earlier warnings of North Korean involvement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that North Korea plans to send up to 50,000 soldiers to Russia to assist in the war effort, according to a report by Israel Hayom's Ariel Kahana. The figure marks a significant increase from Zelensky's previous claim in late July, when he stated that Russia was preparing to absorb 30,000 North Korean troops. The Kremlin at the time declined to comment.
The new claim, if accurate, would represent a major escalation in foreign military support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. North Korea has been a key supplier of artillery shells and missiles to Russia, but the deployment of ground troops would be a qualitative shift. Zelensky did not provide specific evidence for the new figure, and the report has not been independently verified.
The Zioneer has previously reported on Zelensky's warnings about North Korean involvement, as well as his broader assessments of Russia's military strategy. The claim comes amid ongoing tension in the Ukraine war and diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and other nations to mediate.
2 developments
- DevelopingKremlin Refuses to Comment on Zelensky's Claim of 30,000 North Korean Troops
- DevelopingRussia reportedly training new North Korean soldiers for future Ukraine operations
- DevelopingZelensky: 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed, 400,000 wounded in war
- DevelopingZelensky warns Russia preparing large-scale attack within 48 hours, new mobilization
Source and signal
- Open-source intake