North Korea has sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia to boost its war efforts against Ukraine, a Western diplomat familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 15.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 13 that Russia's plans for supporting its full-scale invasion of Ukraine would this autumn include "the actual involvement of North Korea in the war.".
The Western diplomat told the Kyiv Independent that it’s unclear what kind of soldiers they are or what their roles were.
As Russia and North Korea deepen military ties, Western diplomats and experts stress that it shows Moscow's increasing need for resources to continue waging its costly war in Ukraine.
Zelensky warned on Oct. 13 that Russia and North Korea were deepening their alliance, saying that the partnership had escalated to the point where North Korea was sending personnel to Ukraine's front lines along with weapons.
It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces," he said.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials claim that North Korea has been supplying Russia with ballistic missiles and vast quantities of artillery shells since fall of 2023. »
