Zelensky confirms deadly clashes with North Korean troops

50,000 Russian and North Korean Troops Mass Ahead of Attack, U.S. Says

Some U.S. military and intelligence officials have grown more pessimistic about Ukraine’s overall prospects, noting that Russia has steadily gained ground, both in Kursk and in eastern Ukraine. Officials say the setbacks are partly a result of Ukraine’s failure to solve critical shortfalls in troop strength.

According to US intelligence, 10,000 North Korean soldiers have arrived in Russia, a figure that Ukraine’s military intelligence chief says includes 500 officers and three generals. These reinforcements – seen in videos gathering at ranges in Russia’s far eastern Khabarovsk region – are already fighting near Sudzha, and Kyiv says a “small engagement” took place this week. North Korea has pledged to support Moscow until it achieves a “great victory” in Ukraine.

SEOUL—Ryu Seong-hyeon doesn’t need to imagine what the thousands of North Korean soldiers deployed to the Russian front lines might now be thinking. Not long ago, he was one of them.

Ryu darted across the Korean Demilitarized Zone to freedom in 2019—a rare soldier defection. He had a profile that mirrors many of the freshly dispatched troops today: young, underfed and blind to the outside world. Before he chose to flee, Ryu remembers moving bricks at construction sites and shivering outside as he stood guard. He ate mushy rice mixed with corn. Meat was a holiday treat.

South Korean president says 'not ruling out' to Ukraine