According to the Ukrainian head of state, Vladimir Putin is “trying to involve” other parties “in this war” because of the “heavy losses” suffered by the Russian army and because he is “afraid of a mobilization” which would be very unpopular.
“This is the first step towards a world war,” he warned.
Volodymyr Zelensky also assured that he had information from the Ukrainian “intelligence services” according to which North Korean officers are already in the zone occupied in Ukraine by the Russians. “They joined the Russian army,” he said.
Western officials confirmed Thursday that they were aware of the reports but stressed that they were treating them with caution for now.
“We are closely monitoring the possible deployment of North Korean troops in Russia,” an official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We call them the Buryat battalion”: In Russia, the “participation of a second state in the war against Ukraine” at the heart of the accusations
The official added that there were reports of 2,000 to 12,000 North Koreans already involved in fighting in Ukraine but that – if verified – “that number would likely be towards the lower end of the range.”
“Regarding the veracity of this information, it is still a little too early to comment and obtain precise data on what is really happening,” continued the official.
The Ukrainian president had already affirmed on October 13 that North Korea was providing Russia with soldiers for its offensive in Ukraine, in addition to delivering ammunition. But he did not give any figures.
A Ukrainian media outlet recently claimed that six North Korean officers died in a Ukrainian missile strike near Donetsk in occupied eastern Ukraine.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, for his part, declared that Seoul considered it “very likely that there were casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine”, even saying he expect other soldiers to be sent as reinforcements to fight alongside the Russians.
The Kremlin denied this information.
Nuclear-armed North Korea has strengthened its military ties with Moscow in recent months and the Russian president made a rare visit to Pyongyang in June to sign a mutual defense agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
