Zelensky says Russia has begun a new mobilization wave and is expanding foreign recruitment, including from North Korea
On September 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has effectively begun an additional mobilization and is increasing its recruitment of foreigners, including North Koreans, into its armed forces. Citing Ukrainian military intelligence, he said more than 8,000 North Korean military personnel are on Russian territory and another contingent of about 10,000 is being selected for training. Zelensky also said Russia is paying North Korea with technologies and that production of Shahed-type strike drones has been set up on North Korean territory with Russian support. On the same day, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree raising the authorized size of the Russian Armed Forces by 15,500 personnel.
Key points
- Zelensky said on September 28 that Russia has effectively begun an additional mobilization and is increasing recruitment through various means.
- According to intelligence cited by Zelensky, more than 8,000 North Korean military personnel are present on Russian territory, with another contingent of about 10,000 being selected for training.
- Zelensky said Russia plans to expand its recruitment of foreigners and that Ukraine will inform every government whose citizens Russia is trying to recruit.
- Zelensky said Russia is paying North Korea with technologies and that Shahed-type strike drone production has been set up on North Korean territory with Russian technical support.
- On September 28, Putin signed a decree increasing the authorized size of the Russian Armed Forces by 15,500 personnel to 2,441,630 units, effective the following Monday — the fourth such increase this calendar year.
- Zelensky's statement was based on a report from Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR, the Main Intelligence Directorate).
- Zelensky called on partners to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, citing the Lindsey Graham law and EU sanctions as possible tools.
Why it matters
Zelensky framed a concrete policy claim of expanding Russian mobilization and foreign recruitment, drawing on reporting from Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR). The reported presence of more than 8,000 North Korean personnel in Russia, and the claim that Russia is transferring technology to set up Shahed-type drone production in North Korea, point to a deepening Russia–North Korea military relationship that extends beyond ammunition and personnel. On the same day, Putin signed a decree raising the authorized size of the Russian Armed Forces by 15,500 — the fourth such increase this calendar year.
What happened
On September 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has effectively begun an additional wave of mobilization and is increasing its recruitment of foreigners into its armed forces. Citing intelligence from Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), he said more than 8,000 North Korean military personnel are on Russian territory and that about 10,000 more are being selected for training and subsequent deployment to Russia. Zelensky added that Russia is paying North Korea with technologies and that, with Russian technical support, production of Shahed-type strike drones has been set up on North Korean territory. He said Ukraine would inform every government whose citizens Russia is trying to recruit, and called on partners to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, citing the Lindsey Graham law and EU sanctions as possible tools. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the authorized size of the Russian Armed Forces by 15,500 personnel to a total of 2,441,630 units, including 1,550,500 military servicemembers, effective from the following Monday. The synthesis records this as the fourth such increase in the calendar year and the seventh since the start of the full-scale war.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All reporting on the statement is from Ukrainian-language outlets in Ukraine, which uniformly center Zelensky's remarks and frame the news around his claims. Ukrainian sources foreground the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) as the source of the information and emphasize the implications for Ukraine and for the governments of countries whose citizens Russia is trying to recruit, including Central Asian states and several African countries.
Where reporting differs
Reporting differs on whether the current Russian force buildup constitutes an "additional mobilization." Zelensky characterized it as an effective new wave of mobilization, while reporting notes that Russia's main recent tool for replenishing its armed forces has been open-ended volunteer contracts with financial incentives rather than the September 2022 partial-mobilization decree. Earlier Ukrainian intelligence figures also vary, with one set cited in reporting putting a potential autumn mobilization at 300,000–500,000 people and further planning of about 600,000 in 2026–2027.
Background
Earlier Ukrainian intelligence figures cited in reporting put a potential autumn Russian mobilization at 300,000–500,000 people, with further planning of about 600,000 in 2026–2027. Ukraine's military intelligence has previously indicated that Russia plans to recruit roughly 20,000 foreigners in 2026, with priority on Central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — as well as Bangladesh, Chad, Sudan, Burundi and other African countries. Russia's main recent tool for replenishing its armed forces has been signing open-ended contracts that include significant financial payments to volunteers, rather than the September 2022 partial-mobilization decree.