South Korea summoned Ukraine's envoy after Kyiv disclosed the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul, a handoff intended to remain secret. This diplomatic friction comes as Pyongyang has sent between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. More than 8,000 North Korean soldiers are currently on Russian territory, while officials in Moscow are selecting and training another 10,000 for deployment. The rift occurs as Kyiv has requested air defense assistance from South Korea to counter Russian strikes.

Russia has launched an additional mobilization drive to meet a target of 300,000 new soldiers this year, Zelenskyy announced. In exchange for the deployment of foreign personnel, Russia provided technical support to establish the production of Shahed-type attack drones in North Korea. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is informing the governments of all countries from which Russia is recruiting citizens to encourage them to block these manpower efforts.