Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that North Korea is gaining critical military knowledge from Russia, where he said Pyongyang has sent 10,000 troops.
Russia and North Korea have deepened their military cooperation over the course of the war in Ukraine, alarming Western allies and their partners in East Asia, particularly as Pyongyang pursues a nuclear weapons program.
“It is extremely dangerous that they are gaining knowledge about modern hybrid warfare,” Zelensky told Japan’s Kyodo News in an interview, per remarks the Ukrainian leader shared through his X account.
“They know how to defend against missiles, against different types of drones–including fiber-optic drones–from FPV to long-range drones. They are learning on the territory of Russia now, because we are responding to Russia’s attacks.
“So they have this opportunity. What will they do with this knowledge? At the very least, they will bring this knowledge and experience home to North Korea.”
North Korean soldiers fought inside Russia against Ukrainian forces who had mounted a cross-border operation in 2024 and taken control of several settlements.
Allied intelligence services, including the U.S. and South Korea, believe North Korea received Russian military hardware and technical support for Pyongyang’s ballistic missiles research as payment for sending troops to fight against Ukraine.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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