Zelensky urges Western action against NK troops in Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his allies to take action against North Korean troops in Russia before they start confronting Ukraine in combat.

"The first thousands of soldiers from North Korea are near the Ukrainian border. Ukrainians will be forced to defend themselves against them," he said in a video on Telegram. "And the world will watch again."

Zelensky's plea comes after the US confirmed the presence of approximately 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, with nearly 8,000 of them in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian forces launched an incursion in August.

While Zelensky said that Ukraine has the locations of where the soldiers are located, he called for Western leaders to supply Ukraine with more long-range arms to strike deep into Russia and heavily criticized their reluctance on the issue. 

"The world is capable of stopping the war from unfolding. Abstractions and words are not enough for this – concrete steps are needed. 

North Korea recently tested a new ballistic missile, with record flight time and altitude. The world merely watches as this threat grows.Through Moscow’s assistance, North Korea has advanced its artillery and missile capabilities. Now, they are learning the tactics of modern… pic.twitter.com/LwAv51LwdX

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 1, 2024

North Korean troops to the frontline

"Everyone in the world who truly wants the Russian war against Ukraine not to expand....must not just watch. They must act. Words about the inadmissibility of escalation and expansion of war must be matched with actions."

Zelensky also said that North Korea has made progress in its military capabilities. Now, because of North Korean troops' deployment to Russia, the isolated country will "unfortunately learn modern warfare."

The US expects North Korean troops to enter the fray in the coming days, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

South Korean officials have said that they will be sending a team to monitor developments, as they believe that some 3,000 North Korean troops are stationed close to the frontlines.

New reports have suggested that the North Korean troops are being sent to the front lines with minimal training. In an unverified, widely-circulated video on social media, a North Korean soldier claimed to be the only survivor of a battle out of a 40-person unit.

In the video, the soldier recounts an attack on his unit by Ukranian drones and artillery and claims to have been deceived by the Russian army. “They told us we wouldn’t be attacked... or sent to the front lines.” He claims to have survived only by hiding under the bodies of fallen comrades, Maariv reported. 

Zelensky has dismissed the reports and emphasized that North Korean troops haven't begun fighting with Ukrainian forces yet. "As of now, North Korean forces have not engaged in combat. They are preparing to join the fighting," he said, as reported by Maariv. 

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday that the DPRK would support Russia until it achieved victory in the Ukraine war.

Reuters and Maariv contributed to this report.