Russia, North Korea To Amass 150K-Strong Force on NATO’s Doorstep: Zelensky

The Russian army is expanding this year and will gain around 150,000 additional soldiers, including additional North Korean troops, in preparation for continued conflict with Ukraine and possibly Kyiv’s regional allies.

In a recent interview with U.K. newspaper The Guardian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about how Russian forces will increase and warned that Moscow’s forces may try to attack Poland and Lithuania after training in Belarus.

Newsweek’s map below illustrates where Russian and North Korean troops could threaten Warsaw and Vilnius from if stationed in Belarus.

Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Russia’s expansion of its army and recruitment of additional North Korean soldiers follows their crew shortage issue, which has worsened as the war has continued to escalate.

In training Russian troops in Belarus, it indicates that the countries’ historically close relationship is growing stronger. A Belarusian official said that Minsk was setting up training centers for Russian soldiers in December 2024, according to the English-language Ukrainian online newspaper Kyiv Independent.

What To Know

Speaking of Russia’s military expansion, Zelensky said: “The intelligence has informed me that Russia plans to increase its army by 12 to 15 divisions in 2025, which we estimate will add around 150,000 troops,” according to Russian broadsheet newspaper Pravda. Zelensky added that Moscow plans to bolster its army through mobilization, training, and recruitment of additional troops from Pyongyang.

Zelensky said: “Russia’s army is twice the size of ours. The European combat force, including American troops stationed there, is estimated to have around 82 combat brigades. Today, Ukraine’s army, with its 110 brigades, is holding off Russia’s 220 brigades.” The Ukrainian leader added that this further expansion of Russian forces, excluding Kyiv’s forces, would outnumber Europe’s army by a ratio of three to one.

Zelensky also noted that Russia’s 2022 invasion was launched from Belarus, and added that, after training, Moscow may try to attack another country. He said, “They will be able to start [a full-scale invasion] in Poland, in Lithuania. If Putin wants peace and wants the war to end, why does a country that is having very big problems with its economy now increase its forces by 150,000 and train them? It’s definitely not for dialogue,” according to Ukrainian news agency RBC Ukraine.

Zelensky has said, to prevent further Russian attacks after a ceasefire, at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would need to be deployed, as reported by Reuters.

South Korea’s military said that North Korea is preparing to deploy more troops to Russia’s front lines and send additional equipment; more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed supporting the war in Ukraine.

While on Russian TV recently, Dmitry Abzalov, a political analyst and Kremlin propagandist, made similar remarks and said that Moscow “ran out” of North Korean soldiers and expected a new batch to come within the next month. Abzalov said that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) suffered heavy losses on the battlefield.

South Korea and the U.S. estimate that North Korea has sent at least 11,000 troops to support Russia, and Ukraine estimates that approximately 4,000 of them have been killed or injured since deployment in October 2024, though Newsweek has yet to verify this figure remains.

What People Are Saying

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Zelensky wrote: “Intelligence reports confirm that Russia is forming new divisions and developing new military production facilities. Their cooperation with North Korea will continue to expand. Moscow is also spreading modern warfare technologies to the region, particularly drone technologies.

“This means one simple thing—Putin is preparing not for negotiations, not for peace, but for the continuation of the war—and not only against Ukraine. They are now increasing their army by more than a hundred thousand soldiers. All partners must be aware of this and see it clearly.”

Petr Markov, a Ukrainian diplomat, posted on X: “Military situation & Russia’s next move- Russia plans to expand its army by 150,000-250,000 in 2025. Ukraine warns that if it falls, Europe is next. Kursk operation—Ukraine struck inside Russia to create a buffer zone and weaken its forces before a new offensive.”

Morgan Luttrell, a Republican congressman for Texas’ 8th Congressional District, wrote on X: “China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal. Russia’s Army is bigger now than before invading Ukraine. North Korea is doubling down on nukes. Iran’s proxies attack American troops. We need to make serious investments in our defense to keep pace with the threats we face.”

What Happens Next

Depending on how much support Ukraine continues to receive from the U.S. and European allies, it is unknown how they will combat additional Russian forces on the front lines.