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By Steve Mollman
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Russia is preparing to bring an additional 30,000 North Korean troops into the war against Ukraine, a development that would significantly expand Pyongyang's direct military involvement if confirmed.
"We also see Russia’s cooperation with North Korea. Russia wants to receive another 30,000 troops from North Korea," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, adding that preparations to receive the personnel have been underway since June in Russia's Voronezh region.
The assertion follows previous deployments under the deepening military alliance between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Reuters previously reported that an estimated 14,000 North Korean personnel were deployed to Russia's Kursk region in 2024 to assist in repelling a Ukrainian cross-border incursion.
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Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry, along with the North Korean Embassy in Beijing and North Korea's U.N. mission in New York, for comment.
North Korean Troops Already Fighting for Moscow
A deployment of 30,000 additional troops would represent a major escalation in North Korea's support for Russia and could more than double the size of Pyongyang's known military contribution to the war.
The development would also reinforce concerns among the United States and its allies that North Korea is gaining valuable battlefield experience while receiving military and technological assistance from Russia in return.
Zelensky argued that the partnership extends beyond the war in Ukraine.
"This is a threat not only to Ukraine," he said in his Saturday night address. "Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons and gain real combat experience in using them." He added that such cooperation poses risks for countries across Asia that are within range of North Korean missiles.
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North Korea's participation in the war was initially shrouded in secrecy but has since become increasingly public.
Last year, North Korean state media revealed that Kim had approved sending troops to support Russia in August 2024. In subsequent months, Pyongyang openly celebrated soldiers who fought and died alongside Russian forces, portraying them as national heroes.
South Korean intelligence assessments have estimated that North Korean forces suffered thousands of casualties during operations in and around Kursk. Earlier this year, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said North Korean casualties totaled roughly 4,700, including about 600 deaths, though those figures could not be independently verified.
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‘Extremely Dangerous’: Zelensky Warns of North Korea Activity in Russia
North Korea Could Send Ballistic Missile Launchers
Zelensky also alleged Saturday that North Korea was preparing to provide Russia with additional ballistic missile launchers.
That claim is likely to intensify Western concerns over military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. U.S., South Korean and allied officials have previously accused North Korea of providing ammunition, missiles and other military supplies to Russia while receiving technical assistance in return.
The growing relationship has emerged as one of the most closely watched security developments linked to the war, with analysts warning that lessons learned on Ukrainian battlefields could eventually strengthen North Korea's military capabilities in East Asia.
What Happens Next
Reuters reported that neither Russia nor North Korea immediately commented on Zelensky's latest claims.
If the reported deployment materializes, it would mark one of the largest expansions yet of North Korea's role in the conflict and further underscore how the war in Ukraine has increasingly drawn in actors far beyond Europe. Meanwhile, Zelensky said Ukraine would respond to what he described as the growing threat posed by Moscow's military cooperation with Pyongyang.
Contact Newsweek editor for this story: Anthony Murray.
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