Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has raised alarms over Russia’s growing military ties with North Korea and Iran, according to Ukrainian intelligence assessments. Zelensky claims that Russia is preparing to receive an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea, with activities reportedly occurring in the Voronezh region since June. Furthermore, North Korea is said to be readying additional ballistic missile launchers for Russia.
Zelensky warned that this cooperation is providing North Korean forces with valuable experience in modern warfare and weapon systems. Previously, Ukraine reported the use of North Korean ballistic missiles by Russian forces, including during a strike near Kryvyi Rih in July, although these findings were initially considered preliminary.
In addition to the North Korean connection, Zelensky highlighted Russia’s collaboration with Iran, particularly concerning satellite intelligence. Ukrainian intelligence has reportedly detected Russian satellite surveillance of Gulf countries and U.S. military facilities starting in early July. Zelensky claimed that some of the imagery gathered was shared with Iran and coincided with Iranian strikes both before and after the surveillance operations.
Specifically, Russian satellites were reported to have concentrated on four Middle Eastern air bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on July 19 and 20. As a response to these developments, Ukraine intends to share its intelligence on this alleged cooperation with international partners.