This article was originally published on English
Zelensky accuses North Korea of supporting Russia with weapons and manpower, but also with troops. There are reportedly 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia to support President Vladimir Putin in the war against Ukraine.
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North Korea supplies Russia not only with weapons, but also with workers who work in Russian factories, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. He called on Ukraine’s partners to increase their support.
According to Zelensky, Pyongyang is also directly participating in the war against Ukraine. “North Korea is involved in the coalition of criminals on Putin’s side, especially the Kim family, which keeps over 20 million people in North Korea as slaves,” Zelenskyj told parliament in Kiev on Wednesday.
“Our intelligence service observed not only the transfer of weapons from North Korea to Russia, but also the transfer of people,” Zelenkyj added. “These people are workers sent to Russian factories to replace those killed in the war, as well as personnel for the Russian army.”
According to Zelenkyj, in addition to North Korea, Iran is also participating in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “Everyone sees his regime’s support for Putin,” said Zelenkyj, referring to Iran.
Why does Russia need North Korean soldiers?
The Ukrainian newspaper “The Kyiv Independent” reports, citing Western sources, that North Korea sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia to support Russia in the war against Ukraine.
In addition, the Russian 11th Airborne Brigade is forming a 3,000-man “battalion” with North Korean citizens, as the Ukrainian newspapers “Suspilne” and “Liga” report, citing anonymous military intelligence sources.
Where could these be stationed?
Ukrainian intelligence sources estimate that this “battalion” is likely involved in ongoing Russian defense operations in the Kursk region.
Previously, the Ukrainian partisan movement claimed that it had detected the presence of North Korean military personnel at training grounds near Mariupol.
Euronews could not independently verify this information.
The US-based think tank ISW says it has recently seen reports that a small contingent of North Korean soldiers was operating near the occupied city of Donetsk.
According to the ISW, the Kremlin is likely using the June Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Russia and North Korea to partially offset Russian military and border security needs.
This could underpin Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to avoid mobilization for as long as possible.
“Putin appears more willing to accept North Korean personnel into the Russian military and resort to other irregular measures to increase troops than to call for a broader mobilization to actually deal with the combat situation,” said the ISW.
