10,000 North Korean troops headed to Ukraine, claims Zelenskyy
What's the story
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has alleged that North Korea is preparing 10,000 soldiers to bolster Russia in its war against Ukraine.
He made the revelation after meeting North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense ministers in Brussels.
"They are preparing on their land, 10,000 soldiers, but they didn't move them already to Ukraine or to Russia," Zelenskyy said.
Tactical personnel
North Korean presence in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories
Zelenskyy also reported that there were already an unspecified number of North Korean "tactical personnel" and "officers" in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
However, NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance has no evidence of North Korean soldiers actively participating in the conflict.
He did admit that North Korea is supporting Russia, a fact being closely monitored by Western officials.
Monitoring reports
Western officials track potential North Korean troop deployment
Western officials said theye were keeping a close eye on these developments. One official said they are watching out for the possible deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.
Reports claim between 2,000 and 12,000 North Koreans could be part of the operation. However, these numbers are yet to be verified.
Zelenskyy has called North Korea's actions "the first step to a world war," highlighting that Iran was also allegedly supporting Russia with drones and missiles—a claim Iran denies.
Diplomatic outreach
Zelenskyy's diplomatic efforts and North Korea-Russia alliance
Zelenskyy has been busy reaching out to European Union leaders and NATO ministers to rally support for his plan to end the war against Russia.
His recent diplomatic blitz included visits to Washington, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and London.
Experts have previously claimed that North Korean missiles are being used by Russian forces in Ukraine, a claim denied by both Moscow and Pyongyang.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang and signed a mutual defense agreement with Kim Jong Un.