Zelenskyy: Russia Plans Mobilization of Up to 500,000 After September Elections and North Korea to Send 30,000 More Troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia will issue a large-scale mobilization decree for 300,000 to 500,000 troops following the general election in September.

He also repeatedly raised claims regarding an additional deployment of 30,000 North Korean troops.

Speaking in an interview with Britain's Sky News prior to his visit to the UK for his first summit with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the 27th local time, President Zelenskyy said, "Putin has no intention of stopping this war."

President Zelenskyy stated that he received intelligence reports indicating Russia is preparing for mobilization in late September or early October, following the State Duma lower house elections, adding, "He (Putin) is not doing it openly because he fears public opinion."

President Zelenskyy claimed that Russia will not have time to properly train the newly mobilized recruits before sending them to the battlefield, warning that "there will be heavy casualties."

President Zelenskyy, who recently claimed that Russia intends to receive an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea and deploy them near the border, reiterated in the interview, "North Korea will send 30,000 soldiers to Russia," adding, "This will be a problem not only for us or Asia, but also for the United States and the West."

Previously, President Zelenskyy wrote on X on the 25th, "Preparations to accommodate them (North Korean troops) have been underway in Russia's Voronezh region since June," and "North Korea is also preparing to send additional ballistic missile launchers to Russia."

When asked about the matter on the 27th, the Kremlin declined to comment, stating that there was "no need to comment."

In the interview, President Zelenskyy also claimed, "Not only North Korea, but Iran will also send missiles to Russia, and China has begun cooperating with Russia, with them working on satellites and technology."

On this day, President Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister Burnham on the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth, southern England.

President Zelenskyy is the first foreign leader Prime Minister Burnham has hosted since taking office on the 20th.

Following the talks, Prime Minister Burnham told reporters that he and President Zelenskyy discussed additional air defense support capable of shooting down Russian missiles to help Ukraine protect critical national energy infrastructure during the freezing winter months.

Prime Minister Burnham added, "We have reached several points and will hold follow-up discussions with our partners."

Furthermore, the UK announced plans to share the intellectual property of "Stone Cloak," an electronic warfare system that can disrupt Russian air defense networks and hinder drone detection, with Ukraine to support its mass production.

Prime Minister Burnham's predecessor, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, held an active stance on supporting Ukraine.

On this day, Prime Minister Burnham stated, "President Zelenskyy is the first leader I am hosting after taking office, and this is no coincidence," adding, "It is intended to send a clear message that we support Ukraine 100% and will fully uphold all commitments made to Ukraine."

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.