Ukraine reports North Korean troop numbers in Russia could reach 30,000

Ukraine's top diplomat in Seoul, Dmytro Ponomarenko, reported that tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers could gain battlefield experience in Russia's war against Ukraine. He suggested that South Korea should lift its arms embargo on Ukraine in response. Ponomarenko estimated that North Korean troop numbers in Russia's Kursk region could rise to 15,000, with a similar number potentially deployed to Donetsk. He noted that North Korea has established a command center in Kursk, run by seven generals. The involvement of North Korean forces in the conflict is seen as a threat to security on the Korean Peninsula. Ponomarenko stated that the war has become a "global conflict" due to North Korea's participation, which may involve exchanges of military support between Pyongyang and Moscow.