Zelensky claims that Russia has requested 30,000 additional soldiers from North Korea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia had asked North Korea to send an additional 30,000 soldiers to support its war effort in Ukraine.

In a message posted on X, the Ukrainian head of state indicated that "Russia wants to receive 30,000 additional soldiers from North Korea," specifying that preparations have been underway since June in Russia's Voronezh region, which borders Ukraine, to accommodate these reinforcements.

According to Volodymyr Zelensky, Pyongyang is also preparing to transfer additional ballistic missile launchers to Moscow, thereby strengthening military cooperation between the two countries.

The Ukrainian president warned against the consequences of such a rapprochement. “This is not just a threat to Ukraine. Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons, and gain real combat experience in using them. All of this constitutes a threat to everyone in Asia who is within range of North Korean missiles,” he said.

These statements come a few days after the visit to Moscow by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who reaffirmed Pyongyang's "steadfast support" for Russia's policies.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Moscow and Pyongyang have significantly strengthened their cooperation. North Korea has already deployed thousands of soldiers in Russia's Kursk region and also supplies weapons and ammunition to Russia. In exchange, according to several experts, the North Korean regime receives financial aid, military technologies, as well as deliveries of food and energy resources, enabling it to mitigate the impact of international sanctions.