Russia Preparing For 30,000 more North Korean Troops, Zelensky Warns

Pyongyang is also preparing to transfer more ballistic missile launchers to Russia, Zelensky said, going on to argue that the developments pose a threat beyond Ukraine. 

“Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons, and gain real combat experience in using them,” Zelensky said during his nightly television address to the nation on Saturday. “All of this is a threat to everyone in Asia who is within range of North Korean missiles.” 

Russia wants to receive another 30,000 troops from North Korea. Since June, preparations have been underway in Russia’s Voronezh region to receive them. North Korea is also preparing to transfer additional launchers for ballistic missiles to Russia.

This is a threat not only to…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 25, 2026

Zelenskyy also gave details of intelligence reports on Russian plans to mobilize more troops in the fall, which he attributed to Moscow’s heavy losses. 

“[Vladimir Putin’s] casualty figures speak for themselves,” Zelenskyy said. “In less than seven months this year, 221,000 people have joined the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces. During the same period, Russian casualties have amounted to nearly 225,500, among them 131,000 killed and almost 93,000 wounded.” 

The Ukrainian president said many of the injuries were serious due the “catastrophically poor” quality of frontline medical care. 

“Putin is preparing to simply send more Russians to war. He disguises it with different words and signals, but that is what he is preparing to do,” he said, going on to reiterate calls to Ukraine’s international partners to exert sufficient pressure on the Kremlin that peace becomes a preferable option to continued war.