Zelensky: "North Korea Preparing to Deploy 10,000 Troops to Russia... Some Already Stationed in Russian-Occupied Areas"

"Composed of Ground Forces and Technicians... Some Officers Already Deployed"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that North Korea is preparing to deploy about 10,000 troops to support Russia.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, is delivering a speech at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 23rd (local time).
Photo by Yonhap News

President Zelensky stated on the afternoon of the 17th (local time) at a press conference following the European Union (EU) summit in Brussels, Belgium, “According to our intelligence agencies, North Korea is preparing a total of 10,000 personnel, including ground forces and technicians, to assist Russia.”

In particular, President Zelensky emphasized, "Some officers have already been deployed to Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia."

He pointed out, "This is because Russia has suffered heavy troop losses and is trying to make up for the shortfall, and public opinion within Russia is unfavorable toward mobilization, so they are trying to involve other countries."

President Zelensky added, "I discussed this issue with the United States and just now with EU leaders as well, and the participation of a 'second country' in the war is a serious matter," adding, "Iran has also provided drones and missiles to Russia, but officially has not supplied personnel."

On the 16th, President Zelensky told the Ukrainian parliament, "North Korea is supplying not only weapons but also personnel to Russia," confirming this through his country's intelligence agencies. He has been making these claims since the 13th.

Regarding President Zelensky’s claims, Russian media dismissed them as lies intended to draw Western attention and support.

On the 16th, Russian media Vzglyad quoted Konstantin Dolgov, former Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, saying, "The 'myth' that North Korea intervened in the Ukraine conflict was necessary for the Ukrainian regime."

Dolgov argued that the Ukrainian military is failing on all front lines, and Zelensky needed to explain the reasons for these failures somehow, so false information that 'someone is helping Russia' was created.

Dolgov pointed out that the North Korean troop deployment theory is "so obvious that even the United States was not ready to agree with it."

This was in reference to John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson, saying, "We cannot independently verify the report (its accuracy)."

However, Dolgov cited South Korea’s support for all statements criticizing North Korea, mentioning Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s remark that "the possibility of (North Korean) troop deployment is very high."

Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti speculated in a column that "Zelensky tried to find new claims and provocative information to break the 'quiet resistance' of U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz," suggesting the reason behind Zelensky’s North Korean troop deployment claim.

Russian media Moskovsky Komsomolets analyzed, "Zelensky’s claim of North Korean troop participation indicates a desire to legitimize the presence of Western troops on Ukrainian territory to solve the Ukrainian military’s manpower shortage."

The outlet predicted that if North Korean troops come to fight for Russia, their front line would be Kursk Oblast, which is "definitely Russian territory," rather than Ukrainian territory.

It added, "This could bring many benefits to both Russia and North Korea," analyzing that "North Korean troops would gain practical combat experience, and Russian forces would be able to use additional troops to liberate more areas on the Ukrainian front."