Pyongyang rejects Ukraine's claims of new DPRK troops for Russia
Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, rejected a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about plans to send up to 50,000 additional North Korean servicemen to Russia. The statement by the sister of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un was circulated on August 19 by state news agency KCNA.
Kim Yo Jong called the Ukrainian assessment "groundless" and denied claims of preparations for a new major dispatch of troops. At the same time, the statement published by Pyongyang does not in itself allow independent verification of whether new DPRK units are being prepared for deployment to Russia.
Earlier, Zelensky stated that, according to information available to Ukraine, a decision had been made to have from 30,000 to 50,000 more North Koreans on Russian territory. He noted that initially it was about hundreds of DPRK servicemen, then the number grew to thousands, and now Moscow could receive a significantly larger contingent.
The President of Ukraine also linked the expansion of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang to the North Korean army gaining modern warfare experience. Against this backdrop, Zelensky called on South Korea to cooperate more actively with Ukraine, particularly in the area of air defense.
The DPRK had previously sent its servicemen to support Russia. According to estimates cited in reports on Kim Yo Jong's current statement, about 14,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to the Kursk region in 2024. Pyongyang has since stopped hiding the participation of its units in operations on Russia's side and publicly honored servicemen deployed abroad.
Military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK expanded significantly after the conclusion of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June 2024. In addition to servicemen, North Korea supplied Russia with ammunition and weapons. Ukraine also reported the use of North Korean ballistic missiles by Russian forces.
Thus, the parties give opposing assessments of further plans. Kyiv asserts that Russia and the DPRK are preparing a substantial increase in the North Korean presence, while Pyongyang denies this. There is currently no independent confirmation of preparations for an additional contingent of 30,000–50,000 personnel.
According to: KCNA, Kyunghyang Shinmun, Reuters
