Zelensky Claims North Korea Sending Up To 50K Troops To Russia, Presses Seoul To Send Missiles

Ukraine’s President Zelensky has in fresh remarks warned North Korea against its deepening involvement with Russian in executing the war against Ukraine.

Zelensky’s late Monday words alleged that Russia recently received additional ballistic missiles from Pyongyang and is preparing to deploy more North Korean troops, after already sending thousands to fight on the Russian side.

While reports from the last couple years have estimated that North Korea has maintained up to around 10,000 troops in Russia related to the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, Zelensky is now floating a huge number of projected new DPRK forces.

It started on Saturday when Zelensky took to X to say – without evidence – that “a decision has been made for 30,000 ⁠to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia,” a higher figure than his estimate of 30,000 in July.” He didn’t specify where he obtained the alleged data from.

He also said that Ukrainian intelligence had located some North Korean missiles in Ukraine’s territory, without further elaborating. What is clear is the Moscow and Pyongyang do have a robust defense cooperation pact, which was signed in June of 2024.

On Tuesday Ukrainian officials said that overnight at least nine people were killed in new Russian ballistic missile attacks, and scores wounded.

Zelensky then newly said in reference to the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, “The city was struck with North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircons, and guided aerial bombs” – and he described “a vicious attack, calculated to,  inflict maximum damage specifically on civilian infrastructure.”

But again, no proof of the North Korean origins of the missiles was forthcoming. “It ⁠is absolutely clear that North Korea will ​continue ⁠to build its experience in modern warfare, receive licenses from Russia, and receive all kinds of military tools from them,” Zelensky has also said.

Interestingly, Zelensky is using this narrative to try and goad South Korea into changing its policy and export heavy weapons, including anti-air defenses, to Ukraine:

Zelensky said North Korea was gaining valuable battlefield experience through its cooperation with Russia and urged South Korea to provide Ukraine with air defense systems and other capabilities.

“They have a legal restriction under their Constitution. But we would like to have this cooperation and are counting on it. Our diplomats are in contact,” Zelensky wrote.

🚨 Zelensky: Russia struck Zaporizhzhia with North Korean ballistic missiles

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia launched more than 120 drones at Ukraine overnight, most of them Shaheds. In Kyiv, a missile strike damaged an infectious diseases hospital… https://t.co/khmFsf7xcu pic.twitter.com/Xj2ORoM4S8

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 11, 2026

However, this new pressure campaign on Seoul prompted one senior South Korean official to tell The Korea Times, “South Korea’s supply of defense materials to any country has always been carried out in accordance with domestic law.”

The official made clear that there is no policy change in the works, and that South Korean weapons will not start flowing to Kiev anytime soon – or this is the official response at least.