North Korea Sending Citizens to Help Russian War Effort, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Says

The U.S. government has raised alarm about apparent North Korean arms transfers to Russia over the past year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un talk to the media following their bilaterial talks at Kumsusan state residence in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024. Kristina Kormilitsyna/AFP via Getty Images

North Korea is sending its citizens to bolster the Russian war effort against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy and his Western backers have repeatedly flagged suspected North Korean weapons shipments to Russia in recent months. Speaking during his daily evening address on Oct. 13, the Ukrainian leader said the partnership between North Korea and Russia appears to have evolved from weapons transfers to more direct North Korean participation in the war effort.