Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that North Korea is preparing to deploy another 10,000 troops to support Russia’s war effort. The claim, made on 28 September 2026, also put the current number of North Korean troops on Russian territory at more than 8,000, and would mark a major escalation in Pyongyang’s involvement if confirmed.

North Korea has previously been reported to have sent personnel and munitions to Russia, with Western intelligence agencies documenting their presence in the Kursk region. Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened their military partnership since signing a strategic pact, exchanging artillery, missiles and reportedly troops for economic and technical assistance.

Ukraine and its allies have warned that the deployment of foreign troops widens a war that has already drawn in weapons and support from multiple countries. Neither Russia nor North Korea has officially confirmed the latest figure cited by Zelenskiy. The statement comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end the fighting, even as battlefield clashes continue across eastern Ukraine.