Ukrainian president warns of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang and appeals to Japan and South Korea for air defense assistance, highlighting the threat to the entire Asia-Pacific region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday, August 10, 2026, that Russia is preparing to deploy an additional contingent of North Korean troops on its territory and has received new ballistic missiles from Pyongyang. In his nightly address from Kyiv, Zelensky reiterated his warning about the deepening military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
"This is the first time they cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea," Zelensky said in the address, referring to Russian forces. "They are now preparing to deploy an additional contingent of Koreans on their territory. They have received, imagine, additional ballistic missiles from North Korea." The Ukrainian leader did not provide evidence or specify a timeline for these claims, according to AFP.
Over the weekend, Zelensky also stated that a decision had been made to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 North Koreans on Russian soil, though he did not explain where these figures came from. This announcement comes amid increasingly visible military cooperation between the two countries, formalized in June 2024 when Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense agreement.
Moscow has already used North Korean troops later that year in a counteroffensive that pushed Ukrainian forces out of the border region of Kursk. Now, according to the Ukrainian president, Russia plans additional reinforcements.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Zelensky further elaborated on the global implications of this cooperation. "For the first time in its history, Russia cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea. It is now preparing to deploy an additional North Korean contingent on its territory. It has also received additional ballistic missiles from North Korea. Everyone in the world must understand what this means," he wrote.
He warned that North Korean weapons are being refined through combat use in Ukraine. "The more North Korean attacks here in Ukraine, in Europe, the more their missiles and soldiers are used, the more they correct their shortcomings and blind spots, the greater the danger will later be for Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and other countries in the region," Zelensky emphasized.
In light of these threats, the Ukrainian president appealed to Japan and South Korea to provide assistance with air defense systems. He claims this is crucial to curbing North Korea's military strength, which is growing thanks to experience gained in helping Moscow. "When we talk about the need for you to help us strengthen our air defense, we are actually also talking about taking away North Korea's appetite and any interest in coming here with its weapons to learn how to wage war," he said.
In a separate post, Zelensky commented on the internal situation in Russia, claiming that the Ukrainian side possesses Russian internal public opinion polling data. "We have Russian internal data showing that the number of people who want an end to this war is already growing. This must become even more evident. So that Putin, his administration, his FSB helpers, and everyone else understand equally well: peace is the only option," he wrote on X.
