North Korea may send another 500,000 soldiers to war against Ukraine, says Zelenskyy
The number of North Korean troops involved in Russia's war against Ukraine could increase significantly, potentially reaching 500,000, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman.
The leader stated that 12,000 North Korean soldiers have already arrived in Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. As of now, 3,800 North Korean military personnel have been killed or wounded.
"They can bring another 30,000 to 40,000. Or even 500,000. They can bring a lot of people. Why? Because they have orders, autocracy, everything," the president said.
Zelenskyy noted that Europe is unlikely to mobilize an army of 2-3 million soldiers to counter this threat.
"Europe will not want to do this. And for what? You and I do not want a world war. There is no such goal. There is no goal to gather everyone. We do not want any war. We want to stop the Russians, but they are inviting North Korean soldiers. They invited them. They burn their faces," the head of state said.
He added that the Russians burn the faces of North Korean soldiers who are injured or killed to make them unrecognizable.
"Can they deploy more? Yes. Can they deploy tens of thousands? Yes. Because we see that they have the capability," Zelenskyy concluded.
- On November 19, Zelenskyy mentioned that the contingent of North Korean troops near Ukraine's borders could increase to 100,000.
- On December 16, the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council revealed the tactics of North Korean soldiers near Kursk: they are amassed in dugouts and driven to assault narrow sections from multiple directions simultaneously.
- On January 1, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that the Russian army had lost over 38,000 soldiers in Kursk Oblast.
- On January 2, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that Russia continues to involve North Korean military units in combat operations in Kursk Oblast.
