Zelensky Claims 50,000 North Korea Troops May Enter Russia
Kyiv also sought air defense help from Seoul as it warned Pyongyang’s military support for Moscow is widening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said North Korea will deploy 30,000 to 50,000 troops to Russian territory to help in the war against Ukraine. That figure is higher than Zelensky’s July estimate of 30,000 personnel. In a post on X on 8 August, he also said Ukraine found North Korean missiles on its territory, without specifying the location. Zelensky then urged South Korea to deepen cooperation with Kyiv, especially for air defense support, while leaving open other areas of collaboration, including drones. According to assessments by Ukraine and independent groups, Pyongyang had already supplied Russia with artillery ammunition, mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple rocket launchers.