President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Saturday that another 30,000 North Korean soldiers are preparing to join Russia's war in Ukraine. He said Russia has already begun setting up reception facilities in its Voronezh region to welcome them.
Zelensky added that North Korea plans to send more ballistic missile launchers to Moscow. He framed the moves as part of Vladimir Putin's autumn strategy, which has already pulled in 220,000 fresh recruits into Russian forces this year.
According to the Ukrainian president, Russia is teaching North Korea combat tactics while helping the country improve its weapons and gain battlefield experience. "This is a threat not only to Ukraine," Zelensky warned.
He stressed the danger extends across Asia, where North Korean missiles could reach multiple targets. Zelensky also revealed that Ukraine's intelligence agencies have detected "active Russian satellite surveillance" of Gulf states and American military installations in the region.
The Ukrainian leader claimed to possess recordings showing a direct link between Russian satellite imagery of these sites and subsequent Iranian attacks. He said the footage covers July and promised to share details with Ukraine's international partners through intelligence channels.
Over the weekend, Iran's Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming the assault killed one sailor and wounded another. Tehran said the incident violated international law.
However, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi told Tasnim news agency that Iranian retaliatory strikes between July 8 and 22 caused substantial harm to multiple American targets. He listed the damage as affecting aircraft, Patriot air defence systems, radar equipment, satellites, command centres, supply hubs, fuel storage, missile facilities, and drone and fighter jet shelters.
