Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this weekend that North Korea has decided to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 troops on Russian territory, an increase from an estimate of 30,000 he offered in late July. He did not specify whether the new figure includes North Korean soldiers already taking part in the conflict.
Zelenskyy says North Korea plans to deploy up to 50,000 troops to Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this weekend that North Korea has decided to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 troops on Russian territory, an increase from an estimate of 30,000 he offered in late July. He did not specify whether the new figure includes North Korean soldiers already taking part in the conflict.
Russia and North Korea signed a defense pact in the summer of 2024, after which North Korea began sending combat troops to Russia. Analysts estimate that roughly 14,000 to 15,000 personnel were deployed, primarily in Russia's Kursk region, with Pyongyang later agreeing to send an additional 6,000 sappers and military construction workers.
North Korea has also supplied Russia with millions of artillery rounds and ballistic missiles, according to South Korean and Ukrainian authorities. South Korean intelligence estimates approximately 6,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in the conflict.
On Thursday, Japan's Kyodo News cited Ukrainian military intelligence as confirming an upcoming North Korean troop surge. Ukrainian sources said the additional troops could be deployed by the end of November and would reportedly take over duties in Russia's Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions, freeing Russian forces for front-line combat in Ukraine.
Two days after his weekend comments, Zelenskyy said Russia had received more North Korean ballistic missiles, which were allegedly used in an attack on Zaporizhzhia. He also urged South Korea to boost cooperation with Ukraine on air defense and drones, warning that North Korea was gaining valuable experience in modern warfare.
- The source does not state whether Zelenskyy's figure of 30,000 to 50,000 includes North Korean troops already deployed in Russia.
- The source does not identify the evidence base for Zelenskyy's revised troop estimate or explain what changed between his late July statement of 30,000 and his weekend figure of 30,000 to 50,000.
- The source does not include any response or comment from North Korean or Russian officials regarding the reported troop surge.
- The source does not clarify the precise timeline or mechanism by which Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed the surge to Kyodo News.
- The source does not state the total number of North Korean troops killed separately from the total casualty figure; Han Ki-bum's estimate of approximately 2,000 killed is presented as his own assessment, not an official figure.
- The source does not specify how South Korean intelligence arrived at its estimate of approximately 6,000 North Korean casualties.
Read the original at Deutsche Welle