Zelensky warns Putin seeking to prolong Ukraine war with North Korean troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned for a second consecutive day about the risks of North Korea deploying troops to Russia, delivering a national address Tuesday local time.

In his evening address, Zelensky said Vladimir Putin believes he can prolong the war through additional mobilization and the deployment of North Korean troops, according to the Ukrainian presidential office. He also referred again to a Russian strike the previous night that used North Korean-made missiles.

Russian forces struck the Zaporizhzhia region overnight using North Korean missiles, killing six civilians, Ukrainian authorities said.

Ukraine's General Staff said the North Korean missile used in Tuesday's attack was a KN-23, a ballistic missile similar to Russia's Iskander.

Zelensky repeated his claim that Russia is preparing a large-scale mobilization after its September general election. "After the election, hundreds of thousands more Russians will be rapidly mobilized, with a similar scale planned for next year," he said, adding that the information had been confirmed through internal Russian documents.

In the same address, Zelensky warned that Russia has been increasing its deployment of North Korean troops and has received additional North Korean ballistic missiles, cautioning that this poses a risk to South Korea.

Ukraine has been pressing South Korean diplomatic authorities for air defense support, emphasizing the possibility of a large-scale North Korean troop deployment, but Seoul has maintained a cautious stance.