Zelensky: North Korea Preparing 10,000 More Troops for Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Monday that North Korea has deployed more than 8,000 troops to Russia and is preparing to send an additional 10,000. He posted on X that the new recruits are being selected for training before deployment, calling the scheme evidence of "how evil encroaches."

The claim follows a wave of Russian strikes on Kyiv that killed at least ten people and set a landmark building ablaze. Zelensky accused Moscow of terrorism for targeting a market and schools, stating Russia has no military objective other than breaking the Ukrainian people.

“Anywhere in the world, this choice of targets would be called by one word – terrorism. Russia has no military objective whatsoever in doing this – it is purely an attempt to break people and inflict as much harm as possible on our society.”

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions across the capital early Tuesday, with missile debris hitting a residential courtyard and a non-residential building catching fire. A day earlier, Zelensky said nine people were killed and over 80 injured in nationwide drone strikes.

According to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates cited by Reuters, North Korea has sent 14,000 to 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024. Many were reportedly stationed in Russia's Kursk region during Ukrainian operations there. Pyongyang has also allegedly supplied artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles, and multiple rocket launchers.

Diplomatic tension rose between Kyiv and Seoul after Ukraine transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Seoul protested the public announcement, citing a prior confidentiality understanding, which Ukraine denies exists.