30,000 North Korean Soldiers for War in Ukraine.. What’s the Story?

SadaNews - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects North Korea to provide more troops and heavy weapons to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

He added in his speech yesterday, Saturday, that Russia is preparing to deploy an additional 30,000 North Korean soldiers in the Voronezh region, and that Pyongyang intends to supply Moscow with additional ballistic missile launch platforms.

Zelensky clarified that these steps are part of Moscow's military plans for the upcoming autumn. According to assessments from Ukrainian intelligence that he referenced in his speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unwilling to pursue peace.

Zelensky described the planned North Korean support for Russia as a threat primarily to Asia, stating "Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage wars and develop its weapons by giving it practical experience in using arms." He added: "All of this poses a threat to all Asian countries within the range of North Korean missiles."

Under the mutual defense treaty between the two countries, North Korea sent about 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region in 2024, following a significant Ukrainian incursion in the area.

Iranian Support

In another context, the Ukrainian president accused Russia of helping Iran direct its attacks in the Middle East, while Tehran summoned the Ukrainian charge d'affaires following an attack on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea that resulted in a sailor's death.

Zelensky stated that Ukraine has monitored active Russian surveillance through satellites of Gulf countries and the US military installations there since the beginning of July.

He added in a post on the X platform that images captured by Russian satellites later appear in Iran, accusing Moscow of assisting Tehran in directing its attacks in the region.

He indicated that there is a clear correlation between Russian satellite images of locations and Iranian attacks, whether before carrying them out, during preparations, or afterwards for damage assessment.

Zelensky noted that Russian satellite surveillance included four airbases on July 19 and 20 alone, two bases in Bahrain, one base in Jordan, and one in Kuwait.

Throughout the war in Ukraine, Moscow has used Iranian-designed drones in its attacks, while Kyiv has offered its expertise in intercepting Iranian attacks to countries in the Middle East.

Attack in the Caspian Sea

The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian charge d'affaires in Tehran in protest against what it described as a Ukrainian attack targeting an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea.

The ministry stated that the attack caused an explosion that resulted in the death of one sailor and injuries to another, describing the incident as an act of aggression, asserting that Iran will defend its interests and national security.

Tehran also accused Ukraine of seeking to expand the scope of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Zelensky had previously stated that Ukrainian forces targeted a Russian warship and other vessels that he said were used to transport military shipments related to Iran in the Caspian Sea.

Meanwhile, Russian forces targeted the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with ballistic missiles early Sunday, leading to fires in at least three areas according to Ukrainian authorities.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that falling debris caused fires in at least three areas.

Source: Agencies