Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 7 (local time). EPA/Yonhap
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is in contact with South Korea to secure support for its air defense systems.
In an interview with a local broadcaster that Zelensky shared on social media on the 9th, local time, he said Ukraine wants South Korean support in air defense systems, an area where it faces shortages. “There are legal constraints in Korea, but we are hoping for this kind of cooperation, and our diplomats are in contact,” he added. He also said Ukraine is ready to cooperate in other areas, including drone deals.
Zelensky stressed that the number of North Korean troops believed to be deployed on Russian territory is growing. “At first we were talking about a few hundred, but it grew to a few thousand, and now a decision has been made to deploy 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory,” he wrote, adding that “they are learning warfare.” The figure is higher than the 30,000 previously reported.
According to Reuters, Andriy Chernyak of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said a North Korean missile unit of about 90 personnel has already begun deploying to Russia’s western Voronezh region. The Russian side has said it expects up to 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launchers to be deployed.
Zelensky expressed concern by pointing to the recent use of North Korean missiles in Russian attacks on Ukraine, saying it is all too clear that North Korea will receive licenses and military means from Russia.
He warned that if one considers crises and rising tensions in the Pacific, a region that could pose a threat to other Asian countries, North Korea will certainly gain experience in modern warfare through its cooperation with Russia. Zelensky claimed that on the 30th of last month, Russia fired a North Korean missile for the first time in about a year.