North Korea is preparing another 10,000 troops for deployment to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, citing what he described as new intelligence on Pyongyang’s military support for Moscow.
More than 8,000 North Korean troops are already on Russian territory, Zelenskiy said in a post on X. The additional personnel are being selected for training before being sent to Russia, he said.
In effect, the Russians have already begun additional mobilization – they are increasing the number of people they recruit through various means. They also plan to increase the recruitment of foreigners, and it is important that the governments of the countries from which Russia recruits people into its ranks counter this. We will inform every relevant government.
We also have new data on the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. There are currently more than 8,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory. In addition, preparations are underway to deploy another 10,000 troops – they are being selected for training and subsequent deployment to Russia.
In return, Russia is paying, among other things, with technology: production of shahed-type attack drones has been established in North Korea with Russian technical support. This is how evil encroaches, and how a threat to life in one part of the world spreads to other parts. This can only be overcome together.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 28, 2026
The latest figures come as North Korea’s military role in Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to grow, with Ukrainian and South Korean estimates putting the number of North Korean troops sent to Russia since 2024 at between 14,000 and 15,000.
North Korean Forces Already Active in Russia
Most of the North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, according to the estimates, where they have supported Russian forces in efforts to repel a Ukrainian incursion.
Zelenskyy said in August that the number of North Korean soldiers sent to fight for Russia could eventually reach 50,000. He also called on South Korea to provide assistance for Ukraine’s air defense.
South Korea announced a $100 million aid package for Ukraine in July. The package did not include lethal weapons.
North Korea has provided Russia with other military supplies as well. Ukrainian and independent assessments say Pyongyang has supplied millions of artillery and mortar rounds, as well as ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems.
Kyiv and Seoul Clash Over North Korean Prisoners
Zelenskyy’s announcement came shortly after a dispute between Ukraine and South Korea over two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said last week that Ukraine had transferred the two prisoners to South Korea. Seoul subsequently expressed regret that the transfer had been made public, saying the two countries had agreed to keep the arrangement confidential.
South Korea also lodged a protest over a statement from the Ukrainian presidential office that denied the existence of such an agreement.
As reported in Reuters, a South Korean lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party, Yu Yong-weon, displayed photographs of the two prisoners at his office in Seoul on Monday. The images were taken during his visit to a Ukrainian POW camp in February, and the prisoners’ faces were blurred for security reasons.
The dispute over the prisoners comes as Kyiv continues to warn about the scale of North Korea’s military assistance to Russia and the possibility of further deployments.
