Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on the 4th (local time) that Russia appears to have shared jet-propelled drone technology with North Korea.

According to Reuters, when asked by reporters about the possibility that Russia transferred jet-propelled drone technology to North Korea, President Zelenskyy answered, "Yes, absolutely."

He continued, "They share all technologies with North Korea," adding, "I am not sure (which specific technologies like ballistic missiles were shared), but I think so because North Korea helped them with missiles."

Regarding the recent controversy sparked by his disclosure that North Korean soldiers in Ukraine had been repatriated to South Korea, President Zelenskyy added, "South Korea asked to hand over the North Korean soldiers," and "According to the South Korean Constitution, they are also South Koreans."

However, Reuters noted that President Zelenskyy did not directly mention the fact that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung protested, claiming that Ukraine had violated a non-disclosure agreement regarding the repatriation of prisoners.

Ukrainian media outlets, including Suspilne, reported President Zelenskyy's Q&A on the matter in more detail.

According to these outlets, regarding the North Korean prisoners captured by the Ukrainian military, President Zelenskyy pointed out, "When we captured them alive, we obtained different information from before; these were not the North Korean soldiers who first arrived in Russia."

President Zelenskyy emphasized, "They shared experiences and received training," adding, "This includes drone operation as well as how to counter electronic warfare systems, and gaining such practical knowledge and combat experience is very dangerous."

President Zelenskyy stated that he shared information regarding North Korean troops with the Japanese side, arguing, "Japan is a wonderful country with outstanding technology, but it lacks experience in conducting modern warfare, which is a very dangerous element."

President Zelenskyy said, "If Russia trains 50,000 (North Korean) soldiers to fight, it means that knowledge will be shared with hundreds of thousands of North Korean troops," adding, "I believe cooperation (between Ukraine and Japan) is very important in this regard, and that this serves the interests of both sides."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)