Zelensky "North Korea ready to send 10,000 troops...in some of the already occupied territories"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said there is information that North Korea is preparing to send more than 10,000 personnel to Russia.

President Zelenskyy said at a press conference after attending the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, on the 17th local time that he believes North Korea is preparing 10,000 people, including ground troops and engineers, to help Russia.

Mr. Zelenskyy claimed that some officers, in particular, had already been deployed to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia.

"Russia, which has a large military loss, is trying to make up for the shortfall, and public opinion about its mobilization in Russia is not good, so it is trying to get other countries to join in," Zelensky said.

"I discussed this issue with the leaders of the United States and the EU, and it is a serious problem for a 'second country' to participate in the war," he said. "Iran also gave drones and missiles to Russia, but did not officially support manpower."