Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on July 25 that Russia has been preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops in the Voronezh region since June. The claim marks a significant escalation in the military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The deployment would build on an earlier wave of 14,000 to 15,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia during 2024-2025, primarily to support operations around Kursk Oblast.
What Zelenskiy actually said
Beyond the troop numbers, Zelenskiy indicated that North Korea plans to supply additional ballistic missile launchers, suggesting the cooperation extends well beyond boots on the ground.
He also provided casualty estimates for Russian forces from January through July 2026: roughly 222,500 total casualties, broken down into approximately 131,000 killed and 93,000 wounded.
