Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that North Korea is now aiding Russia with military personnel, not just weapons.

This Russia-North Korea military collaboration violates UN sanctions and could destabilize global security. Experts warn Russia may reciprocate by sharing advanced missile and nuclear technologies with North Korea.

Zelenskyy: North Korea sending weapons AND troops to Russia.

"Western aid for Ukraine must strengthen. The front needs increased support," he urged. pic.twitter.com/Q8tFQooY8Z

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 13, 2024

“We’re witnessing an intensifying alliance between Russia and regimes like North Korea. It’s no longer just about transferring weapons. It’s now about sending North Korean people to join the occupier’s military forces,” Zelenskyy stated in his evening address.

Key developments:

• 18 June: Putin visited Pyongyang, signing a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ with Kim Jong Un
• 4 October: The Times reports Western intelligence claiming half of Russia’s artillery shells now come from North Korea
• 8 October: South Korean Defense Minister claims North Korea likely to send troops to Ukraine
• 8 October: Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation states North Korean military personnel are already present in occupied areas
• 3 October: Reports emerge of over 20 North Korean soldiers, including six officers, killed in a missile strike near Donetsk
• 11 October: The Institute for the Study of War reports thousands of North Korean troops are training for deployment to Ukraine by year’s end

Zelenskyy stressed the need to deepen Ukraine’s relationships with Western partners in response to this escalation. While North Korea has openly supported Russia’s position verbally, it has denied weapons shipments. However, debris from North Korean missiles has been regularly found in Ukraine following Russian attacks.

The Kremlin continues to dismiss claims of North Korean troop involvement as disinformation, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

Read more:

• WP: thousands of North Korean troops train in Russia for potential Ukraine deployment
• North Korean officers killed in missile strike in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian intel sources say
• Blinken: US must halt Russia’s military cooperation with Iran, North Korea, and China
• The NYT: North Korea defies Western sanctions, continues supplying Russia with short-range ballistic missiles
• North Korea’s arms shipments to Russia surge, intelligence report reveals