Zelensky Says 8,000 North Korean Troops Are in Russia, With Drone Tech Supplied in Return
Ukraine’s president says more than 8,000 North Korean military personnel are already in Russia and that another contingent is being prepared, in exchange for Russian help setting up Shahed‑type attack drone production in North Korea.
Volodymyr Zelensky says North Korea has moved from quietly backing Russia to putting its own forces on Russian soil. According to the Ukrainian president, more than 8,000 North Korean military personnel are already in Russia, and another 10,000 are going through selection and training for later deployment.
Zelensky did not present corroborating evidence in the cited remarks, and his figures have not been independently verified. Moscow and Pyongyang have not publicly confirmed sending North Korean ground troops to Russia. The statement does, however, match a broader pattern in which both countries have tightened military and political cooperation.
Zelensky also described what he says North Korea is receiving in return. With Russian technical assistance, North Korea has established production of Shahed‑type attack drones, he said. These are loitering munitions modeled on the Iranian systems that Russia has used extensively against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
If the deployment and technology transfer are occurring on the scale Zelensky claims, they would mark a shift in the Ukraine war. North Korea would be moving from supplier and political supporter to direct participant on the ground in Russia, while also gaining a new class of attack drones that could matter in future crises in East Asia.
The alleged arrangement points to deeper coordination among heavily sanctioned states. Russian specialists would help set up drone manufacture in North Korea, while North Korean troops bolster Russian manpower in the field. That kind of exchange would complicate efforts by Western and Asian governments to limit the military reach of both countries through sanctions alone.
Concrete signs that could confirm or challenge Zelensky’s account include satellite imagery of new North Korean deployments in Russia, open‑source tracking that identifies Korean‑language units under Russian command, and physical evidence from downed drones built with North Korean‑specific components. Official reactions from Russia, North Korea, and key regional players such as South Korea and Japan would also indicate how seriously governments take the claims.
Sources
- OSINT