North Korea Sending Citizens to Help Russian War Effort, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un talk to the media following their bilaterial talks at Kumsusan state residence in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024. Kristina Kormilitsyna/AFP via Getty Images

North Korea is sending its citizens to bolster the Russian war effort against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy and his Western backers have repeatedly flagged suspected North Korean weapons shipments to Russia in recent months. Speaking during his daily evening address on Oct. 13, the Ukrainian leader said the partnership between North Korea and Russia appears to have evolved from weapons transfers to more direct North Korean participation in the war effort.

“We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like North Korea,” Zelenskyy said.

“This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces.”

In October of last year, the White House National Security Council (NSC) flagged what they assessed to be shipments of around 1,000 containers of arms and ammunition from North Korea to Russia by ship and rail. By January, the NSC reported that Russian forces had begun to use North Korean ballistic missiles on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Moscow and Pyongyang have denied that North Korea is sending arms to Russia for the war effort in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied reports of North Koreans joining the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

“This looks like another bit of fake news,” Peskov told reporters on Oct. 10.

While the Russian government has denied drawing on North Korean weapons stocks or manpower, the two countries have signaled increasing cooperation in recent months. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a “strategic partnership” agreement with Kim Jong Un at a June bilateral summit in Pyongyang.

International observers have alleged Russia is getting help not only from North Korea but also from Iran in its ongoing war effort in Ukraine.

Citing the alleged involvement of North Korean citizens, Zelenskyy called for renewed support from his Western backers.

“Obviously, in such circumstances, our relations with partners need to develop further. The frontline needs more support,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday.

For months, Zelenskyy has been requesting permission from the United States and other Western backers to strike inside Russia with the long-range weapons systems those countries have sent to Ukraine.

“When we talk about giving Ukraine greater long-range capabilities and more decisive supplies for our forces, it’s not just a list of military equipment. It’s about increasing the pressure on the aggressor—pressure that will be stronger than what Russia can handle,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Russia previously said Western governments should stop sending weapons to Ukraine and warned in September that it would mean a declaration of war if Ukraine is allowed to strike deep inside its territory.

Reuters contributed to this article.