Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday in Brussels that 10,000 North Korean soldiers were preparing to fight in Ukraine alongside Russian forces.
“We know that they are preparing about 10,000 troops from North Korea to send them to fight against us“, declared Mr. Zelensky, during a European summit where he went to defend his “victory plan” facing Russia which requires increased support from the West. According to the Ukrainian head of state, Vladimir Putin “tries to involve“other parts”in this war“due to”heavy losses“suffered by the Russian army and because he”fear of mobilization“which would be very unpopular. Volodymyr Zelensky also assured that he had information”intelligence services“Ukrainians according to which North Korean officers are already in the zone occupied by the Russians in Ukraine.”They joined the Russian army“, he said.
The Ukrainian president had already affirmed on October 13 that North Korea was supplying Russia soldiers for its offensive in Ukraine, in addition to delivering ammunition. But he did not give any figures. A Ukrainian media outlet recently claimed that six North Korean officers died in a Ukrainian missile strike near Donetsk in occupied eastern Ukraine. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyunfor his part declared that Seoul was judging “very likely that there were casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine“, even saying he expected other soldiers to be sent as reinforcements to fight alongside the Russians.
The Kremlin, for its part, denied this information.
