Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has raised concerns about deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea, alongside Russia’s provision of satellite intelligence to Iran. Citing Ukrainian intelligence assessments, Zelensky warned that Russia is preparing to integrate an additional 30,000 North Korean troops, with preparations reportedly ongoing in the Voronezh region since June. This cooperation is further expected to see North Korea supplying additional ballistic missile launchers to Russia.
Zelensky emphasized that this collaboration is providing North Korean forces with exposure to modern warfare techniques and weapons systems. Ukraine has previously identified the use of North Korean ballistic missiles by Russian forces, notably in a July strike near Kryvyi Rih, though at the time the assessment was considered preliminary.
In addition to the Russia-North Korea military developments, Zelensky claimed that Russia has been engaging in satellite surveillance of Gulf countries and U.S. military installations in the region since early July. He alleged that some of the satellite imagery collected was shared with Iran, with the timing of the surveillance coinciding with Iranian military actions before and after reported attacks.
Specifically, Zelensky noted that Russian satellites focused on four Middle Eastern air bases located in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on July 19 and 20. Ukraine intends to share its intelligence findings on this alleged cooperation with international partners, aiming to raise awareness and response to these developments.