Russia has deployed North Korean soldiers in significant numbers for the first time to support its offensive in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president said North Korean troops are reportedly being used in assaults on Ukrainian forces defending an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region.
“Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults. A significant number of them,” Mr Zelensky said during his nightly wartime address.
Mr Zelensky warned the deployment of North’s forces could extend to other battle zones. Kyiv estimates around 11,000 North Korean troops are now in the region, bolstering Russia’s forces.
Andrii Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, stated the North Koreans have already suffered casualties.
“The Russians are counting on numbers and are trying to carry out assault operations with the help of the Koreans, when the task of the Koreans is to run under the blows of our forces and occupy certain areas,” Mr Kovalenko wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky lays flowers at the site of the missile strike carried out by Russia on 10 December in the city of Zaporizhzhia (Ukrainian presidential press service)
The Kremlin has not confirmed or denied the involvement of North Korean troops.
Ukraine first reported the presence of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region in October. This comes as Ukraine faces increasing pressure to hold the enclave it captured in August during a surprise incursion into Russian territory. The operation, aimed at diverting Moscow’s forces, has since drawn criticism for stretching Ukraine’s manpower across an already extended front line.
While Kyiv maintains the move was strategic, Moscow’s counteroffensive has led to some of its fastest territorial gains in eastern Ukraine since 2022, although Russian forces have reportedly sustained heavy casualties.
A Ukrainian tank crew member of the 68th Jaeger Brigade walks next to a Leopard 1A5 tank at the position where they take a break in fighting (AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian military reports indicate an escalation in fighting on the Kursk front, including intensified airstrikes, artillery barrages, and glide bomb attacks.
In a broader context, the deployment of North Korean troops underscores deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. The two nations signed a defence treaty in June, committing mutual military aid in the event of an attack. Since then, North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with over 100 ballistic missiles and millions of artillery shells. In return, Moscow has allegedly offered economic aid and support for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme.
Mr Zelensky criticised the Kremlin’s actions, accusing Russian president Vladimir Putin of dragging another state into the conflict. “In essence, Moscow has dragged another state into this war, and to the fullest extent possible. And if this is not escalation, then what is the escalation that so many have been talking about?” he said.
The Ukrainian leader used his address to urge Western allies to strengthen their support for Kyiv. He is scheduled to meet leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Nato, and the EU in Brussels next week to discuss bolstering military aid.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry reported the destruction of 15 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 13 over the Black Sea and two in the Kursk and Belgorod regions.
Additional reporting by agencies
