North Korea is preparing to expand its military support for Russia by sending around 10,000 additional troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski said.

Speaking on the latest developments in the war, Zelenski said the new contingent is currently being selected and trained before deployment to Russia. He did not specify when the troops were expected to arrive but said they would reinforce North Korean forces already supporting Russian military operations.

The remarks came after diplomatic tensions between Kyiv and Seoul over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

South Korea expressed dissatisfaction over the public disclosure of the transfer, saying Ukraine had failed to observe a prior understanding on confidentiality. Kyiv, however, denied that any such agreement had existed.

According to estimates by Ukraine and South Korean intelligence authorities, North Korea has deployed between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024.

A significant number of those troops are believed to have been stationed in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched cross-border operations.

Western governments and intelligence agencies have also accused Pyongyang of supplying Russia with large quantities of artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles and multiple launch rocket systems in support of Moscow's military campaign.

Reuters reported that it could not independently verify Zelenski's claim regarding the planned deployment of an additional 10,000 North Korean troops.(ILKHA)