Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Russia wants to bring in 30,000 North Korean troops to conflict

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Russia wanted to bring in 30,000 North Korean troops to take part in its more than four-year-old conflict and was already preparing to receive them.

Under a mutual defence pact, North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk Region in 2024 to help Moscow beat back a major incursion into the region by Ukrainian forces.

“We also see Russia’s cooperation with North Korea. Russia wants to bring in another 30,000 North Korean troops,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. “Preparations have been under way in Russia’s Voronezh region since June to receive them.”

Zelenskiy said North Korea was preparing to supply Russia with new launchers for ballistic missiles.

Russia aiding Iran strikes

Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine had noted Russia was passing on its satellite observations in the Middle East to Iran to enable it to direct strikes in the region.

“Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and US military facilities located there. These images subsequently appear in Iran,” Zelenskiy said in comments on X.

“At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia’s satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes – both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted.”