North Korea is preparing 10,000 soldiers of various branches and specializations to join Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 17.

His statement came days after a Western diplomat told the Kyiv Independent that Pyongyang had sent 10,000 troops to Russia. Zelensky said Moscow plans to “actually involve” North Korea in the war in the coming months.

At a press conference in Brussels, the president said Russia plans to train and deploy not only infantry but also North Korean specialists in various branches of the military.

“We know that they want to send about 10,000 troops from North Korea to fight against us,” he added.

According to military intelligence, some North Korean officers are already in the occupied territories of Ukraine and have joined the Russian army. Their number is unknown, Zelensky added.

According to Zelensky, the participation of the North Korean military in the war against Russia is “the first step towards a world war.”

Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened military cooperation as Russia seeks weapons and other support in its all-out war against Ukraine. North Korea supplies Russia with ballistic missiles and large quantities of artillery shells.

Iran is another Russian ally that supports Moscow in its aggression against Ukraine. Tehran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed Kamikaze drones, which are used in daily attacks across Ukraine.

“Iran gave (Russia) drones, the license to produce these drones and missiles. But not to people, not officially. And here we see the first step in this war,” Zelensky added.

North Korean troops could be used in the Russian war in Ukraine

Russia’s war in Ukraine may have reached a new stage this week after reports that North Korea has switched from supplying weapons to Moscow to sending its own troops. A Western diplomat familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent on October 15 that Pyongyang had sent 10,000 troops there