Zelenskyy: North Korean military number in Russia could grow to 100,000
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy reported that the number of North Korean troops stationed in Russia has reached 11,000 and could grow to 100,000.
"Now, Putin has brought 11,000 North Korean troops to Ukraine's borders. This contingent may grow to 100,000," Zelenskyy said in a virtual address to the European Parliament.
Kyiv and its Western allies have stated that North Korea is supplying Russia with weapons and troops to support its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Last week, South Korea's spy agency reported that North Korean troops had already participated in combat operations against Ukrainian forces.
This month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership agreement with North Korea, which included provisions on mutual defense.
Last week, Bloomberg reported that North Korea could deploy up to 100,000 troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, such a move is inevitable, and military support of this scale, if it occurs, would probably be carried out in rotations over time, rather than through a one-time deployment.
