Zelensky says up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers could be deployed to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed to support Russian forces in the Russia-Ukraine war, an increase from previous estimates. "North Koreans appear on the territory of the Russian Federation from time to time," he said. "At first, we were talking about hundreds, then thousands, and now a decision has been made for 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia." The potential deployment of 50,000 troops far exceeds the original estimate of 30,000 released in late July. North Korea and Russia have strengthened diplomatic ties in recent years, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in June 2024, which stipulated that both countries must use all available means to provide military assistance to the other if attacked. North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to Russia's Kursk region in October 2024 and has supplied Moscow with ballistic missiles, long-range artillery, and multiple-launch rocket systems.