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Tuesday 29 Sep 2026
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Photo/AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are stationed on Russian territory, warning that preparations are actively underway to deploy an additional 10,000 personnel.
Citing "new data" regarding Pyongyang's military integration with Moscow, Zelenskyy stated that additional North Korean forces are "being selected for training and subsequent deployment to Russia."
The statement comes after the Ukrainian leader warned in August that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers could ultimately be deployed to fight on behalf of the Russian military, prompting Kiev to urge South Korea to provide air defence assistance.
In July, Seoul committed a $100 million non-lethal aid package to Ukraine.
Pyongyang's arsenal
Zelenskyy's remarks follow diplomatic friction between Seoul and Kiev over his public disclosure last week confirming that Ukrainian forces transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
The South Korean government expressed formal regret over the public disclosure, maintaining that both nations had mutually agreed to keep the transfer confidential.
Seoul also lodged a protest against a statement released by the Ukrainian presidential administration that denied the existence of any confidentiality pact.
North Korea has dispatched an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to bolster Russia's military campaign in Ukraine since 2024, according to assessments compiled by Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence agencies.
The vast majority of these forces have been deployed across the Kursk frontier region to help Russian forces counter a Ukrainian cross-border operation.
Beyond personnel, Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, alongside ballistic missiles, heavy long-range artillery systems, and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian officials and independent defence assessments.
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Source: TRT
