Zelensky says North Korean sent Russia soldiers as well as weapons

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that North Korea has sent soldiers as well as weapons to support Russia in its fight against neighbouring Ukraine.

"We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like North Korea," the Ukrainian leader said in his evening video address. "This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces."

There has been no independent confirmation that North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukraine.

In recent days, there have been reports of the deployment of North Korean soldiers in eastern Ukraine. However, when it comes to soldiers killed in action, it has not been conclusively shown whether all the deceased were members of the regular Russian troops - or not.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US military think tank, recently reported that several thousand North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia and were being prepared for deployment in Ukraine.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has been supporting Russia's war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022, with weapons and ammunition. According to a report by the South Korean intelligence service, Pyongyang supplies artillery shells and short-range missiles to Russia.

Zelensky intends to discuss this development with his country's Western partners in the near future.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and has since been waging a destructive war in the neigbouring country.