Zelensky says Russia wants 30,000 more North Korean troops

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has sought another 30,000 troops and missile launchers from North Korea for the war in Ukraine.

Zelensky said in a social media post late Saturday that preparations to receive the additional troops were being made in Russia's Voronezh region, near the border with Ukraine. He said the preparations had been under way since June.

He also said North Korea was preparing to transfer more ballistic missile launchers to Russia. Zelensky said this was a threat beyond Ukraine, because he said Russia was helping North Korea learn how to fight, improve its weapons and gain real combat experience using them. He said that threatened countries in Asia within range of North Korean missiles.

North Korea sent thousands of troops in 2024 to help Russia fight off a Ukrainian counter-offensive in Russia's Kursk region. It has also supplied weapons for Russia's invasion of Ukraine since 2022. South Korea has said about 2,000 North Korean troops have been killed in the war.

Russia and North Korea signed a military assistance treaty in 2024. North Korea reaffirmed support for Russia's war during Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui's visit to Moscow this week. North Korea's KCNA state news agency said Pyongyang expressed support for Russian policies it said were aimed at addressing the cause of the Ukrainian dispute and defending Russia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and international justice.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude for North Korea's support in a video released before Choe's visit. In exchange for its military aid, North Korea has received cash, military technology, and food and energy commodities to help it deal with international sanctions over its nuclear programme.