Zelenskyy Warns Up to 50,000 North Korean Troops Could Join Russia's War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said North Korea is preparing to deploy up to 50,000 troops to support Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, a sharp escalation from the thousands already believed to be fighting alongside Russian units.

Speaking about the state of the war, Zelenskyy said Pyongyang's growing military commitment goes beyond manpower. He argued that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's government is using the battlefield as a proving ground, gaining real combat experience while extracting modern weapons technology and licensing arrangements from Moscow in return for troops and munitions.

The Ukrainian leader also used the moment to renew his appeal to Seoul, urging South Korea to step up support for Ukraine's air defense systems as Russian missile and drone strikes continue to batter Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. South Korea has so far avoided sending lethal aid directly to Kyiv, instead focusing on humanitarian and non-lethal assistance, a position shaped in part by concerns over provoking North Korea and Russia.

North Korean troops were first confirmed to be fighting in Russia's Kursk region last year, marking Pyongyang's first major deployment of forces abroad in decades. Western officials have said the deployment gives North Korea's military, long isolated and untested in modern warfare, invaluable exposure to drone warfare, artillery tactics and Western-supplied weapons systems used by Ukraine.

Analysts have warned that the deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang could reshape security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula, as North Korea potentially returns home with battle-tested soldiers and upgraded weapons capabilities. Zelenskyy's comments underscore Kyiv's concern that the partnership is becoming a long-term strategic threat rather than a temporary wartime arrangement.

Ukraine has continued to press allies, including South Korea, Japan and Western partners, for additional air defense systems as Russia intensifies strikes ahead of the winter months. Seoul has not indicated any shift in its policy of withholding direct arms shipments to Ukraine.