North Korea has sent 12,000 troops to fight against Ukraine, of which 3,800 have been reported killed or injured to date.
This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman. He noted that this country could send an additional 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers to the war. "They could even send 500,000. They can mobilize a large number of people. Why? Because they have orders," the Ukrainian president emphasized.
He also pointed out that Europe cannot do the same. "Can Europe assemble an army of 2-3 million people? No. Europe does not want to do that. And for what purpose? We do not want a world war with you. That is not the goal... We want to stop the Russians," Zelensky remarked, adding that at the same time, Russia is inviting North Korean soldiers.
"They are burning their faces. Those who cannot escape - the wounded or the dead... So that they are unrecognizable," the President of Ukraine reminded.
Furthermore, Zelensky noted that last year Europe supplied Ukraine with one million 155mm artillery shells. There were also shells produced in Ukraine. "We produced more," Zelensky specified.
However, as he pointed out, North Korea provided Putin with 3.7 million. This indicates that Russia is also facing a shortage, which is why Putin needs time.
A Million Shells for Ukraine
In 2023, the EU promised to deliver one million shells to Ukraine by spring 2024, but in reality, only half of that amount has been delivered due to production issues.
By August, Ukraine had already received 700,000 shells. In November, it became known that Europe had nearly fulfilled its promise to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine.