Zelensky: North Korea continues to arm Russia for the war against Ukraine

North Korea continues to arm Russia while simultaneously using the war against Ukraine to improve its own missiles and other types of weapons. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated this in his evening address on August 10.

According to the president, Russia has already received additional ballistic weaponry from the DPRK and is preparing to deploy a new contingent of North Korean military personnel on its territory. Zelensky emphasized that Moscow has for the first time found itself in a situation where it cannot continue the war without significant assistance from North Korea.

The main threat, the president said, is that Pyongyang gets the opportunity to test its weapons in the conditions of a real modern war. North Korean missiles are used against Ukraine, after which their manufacturers can analyze the results, identify shortcomings, and improve the weaponry in cooperation with Russia.

“Ballistics from North Korea, their other weapons are being improved thanks to the collaboration with Russia,” Zelensky noted.

According to him, the more North Korean missiles and military personnel are involved in the war, the more practical experience the DPRK regime will gain.

The president believes that the consequences of such cooperation go far beyond the borders of Ukraine. The acquired technologies and combat experience could subsequently increase the threat to South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and other Asia-Pacific states within the range of North Korean weapons.

Zelensky called on partners to take this factor into account when making decisions on military assistance to Ukraine, primarily the supply of air and missile defense systems. In his words, supporting Ukrainian air defense simultaneously reduces the DPRK's ability to use the war as a testing ground for training its troops and checking its weapons.

Military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has noticeably expanded in recent months. As early as July 25, Zelensky stated that Russia expected to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean military personnel and had been preparing for their arrival since June. At that time, he also reported that the DPRK was preparing to transfer new ballistic missile launchers to Russia.

At the end of July, Ukraine also recorded one more use of a North Korean ballistic missile by Russia. After the strike near Radushne near Kryvyi Rih, in which five members of the same family died, a Ukrainian military source said that the resumption of the use of such missiles may indicate that Russia has received new stocks of North Korean weapons.

In addition to missiles, North Korea supplies Russia with artillery ammunition and other weaponry. Pyongyang has also sent military personnel to Russia. According to data previously cited by Zelensky, North Korean soldiers directly gain knowledge about modern warfare, including the use of and countermeasures against unmanned systems. Kyiv warns that after returning to the DPRK, this experience may be used to develop its own armed forces.

Thus, Ukraine views the Russian-North Korean military cooperation not only as an additional source of weapons and manpower for Moscow but also as a long-term security threat to other countries. Zelensky called on states that are potentially threatened by the DPRK's missile potential to more actively participate in curbing this cooperation and supporting Ukrainian air defense.

Based on materials from: Volodymyr Zelensky, Office of the President of Ukraine