North Korea Expected To Increase Troops And Weapons To Russia, President Zelensky: We Will Give Responses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to provide a real response, along with the possibility of North Korea increasing the number of troops and weapons sent to help Russia on the battlefield.

President Zelensky said on Monday more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed and injured in Russia's Kursk region, warning Pyongyang could send more personnel and equipment to the Moscow army.

"There is a risk that North Korea will send additional troops and military equipment to the Russian army," President Zelensky said in X after receiving a report from Ukrainian military commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"We will give a real response to this," he added.

President Zelensky's estimated death toll was higher than that given by Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), who on Monday said at least 1,100 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured.

The assessment is in line with last week's briefing by South Korean spy agencies, which reported about 100 deaths with another 1,000 injured in the region.

President Zelensky said he cited preliminary data. Reuters was unable to verify reports of losses due to fighting independently.

Russia has not confirmed or denied the presence of North Koreans on its side. Previously, Pyongyang initially rejected reports of the deployment of the troops as "false news", but a North Korean official said the deployment was legal.

According to Ukraine's assessment and allies, North Korea has sent about 12,000 troops to Russia.

Some of them have been deployed to fight in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine still controls parts of the territory after a massive cross-border attack in August.

JCS added that it had detected signs of Pyongyang planning to produce suicide drones to be delivered to Russia, in addition to a 240 mm double rocket launcher and a 170 mm self-propelled howitzer.

Kyiv continues to pressure allies to provide tougher responses for saying the transfer of experiences of war and military technology to Moscow and Pyongyang is a global threat.

"For the world, the cost of restoring stability is always much higher than the cost of putting pressure on those who interfere with the situation and destroy lives," President Zelensky said.