Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in a video address posted on social media on the 28th (local time) that more than 8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, with preparations underway to dispatch an additional 10,000 troops.

President Zelenskyy also claimed that in return for the troop deployment, North Korea is receiving technical support from Russia to produce Shahed-type attack drones on its own territory.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Ukrainian President: This is how evil spreads and the threat to life expands to other regions. We must respond together to overcome it.]

However, the speech did not mention the issue of repatriating two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

Previously, President Zelenskyy revealed at the UN General Assembly on the 23rd that two North Korean prisoners of war had been repatriated to South Korea.

In response, the Blue House stated that the Ukrainian side violated a closed agreement between the two countries and falsely announced that "there was no closed agreement," demanding an official explanation and apology.

Regarding the disclosure of the prisoner repatriation, a Russian columnist claimed it could be related to the issue of South Korea providing Patriot missiles.

The columnist raised the possibility that Ukraine disclosed the prisoner repatriation out of resentment after failing to receive a Patriot air defense network from South Korea.

Amid ongoing controversy, Chief of Staff to the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov claimed that North Korea is learning from the Russia-Ukraine war and arming itself to prepare for active combat in its own right.

He also mentioned landmine explosion accidents in South Korea's Demilitarized Zone, hinting at the possibility of a clash between the two Koreas by stating, "It is only a matter of time before an event occurs that will lead to uncontrollable consequences."

Reported by Gwak Sang-eun | Video by SUNGHOON | Produced by SBS Digital News