Zelensky says Russia asked North Korea for 30,000 more troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a social media post late Saturday that Russia has asked North Korea to send an additional 30,000 troops along with missile launchers to reinforce its war effort in Ukraine. According to Zelensky, preparations for the new deployment are already under way in Russia's Voronezh region, which borders Ukraine.

Zelensky's claim has not been independently verified by North Korean or Russian officials. He noted that North Korea previously sent thousands of soldiers to help Russian forces repel a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kursk region in 2024, and has since continued supplying weapons and ammunition to support Moscow's invasion.

The reported request comes as the war approaches its fourth year, with both sides continuing to seek additional manpower and equipment. Kyiv has repeatedly pointed to North Korean involvement as evidence of expanding foreign support for Russia's campaign, a claim Pyongyang and Moscow have only partially acknowledged in the past.