Zelenskiy Says Russia Is Deploying More North Korean Troops in Its Kursk Region

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy leaves after a trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and US President-elect Trump at the Elysee Palace in Paris as part of ceremonies to mark the reopening of the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, five-and-a-half years after a fire ravaged the Gothic masterpiece, in Paris, France, December 7, 2024. (Reuters)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Moscow had started involving "a noticeable number" of North Korean troops in its efforts to drive Ukrainian troops out of Russia's Kursk region.

Ukrainian troops began their incursion into the Kursk region in August and still control some settlements there, part of Kyiv's attempt to relieve pressure on its forces in eastern Ukraine where Russia has been making steady advances.

Zelenskiy said the North Korean troops' participation in the operations in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, amounted to a new escalation in the nearly 34-month old war.