Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has raised alarms over increasing military collaborations between Russia, North Korea, and Iran. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is not only enhancing its military partnership with North Korea but is also providing satellite intelligence to Iran.
Zelensky’s concerns highlight the preparations in Russia’s Voronezh region to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops, which have reportedly been ongoing since June. Furthermore, North Korea is allegedly preparing to supply Russia with more ballistic missile launchers. This cooperation is said to provide North Korean forces with valuable experience in modern warfare and advanced weapons systems. Ukraine had previously noted the use of North Korean ballistic missiles by Russian forces, referencing a July strike near Kryvyi Rih, although at the time, the assessment was preliminary.
In addition to the Russian-North Korean cooperation, Zelensky pointed out that Ukrainian intelligence has observed Russian satellite surveillance activities targeting Gulf countries and U.S. military facilities since early July. The intelligence suggests that some of this satellite imagery has been shared with Iran, with the timing of these activities coinciding with Iranian strikes before and after attacks in the region.
Specifically, Zelensky noted that Russian satellites had concentrated on four Middle Eastern air bases located in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on July 19 and 20. Ukraine intends to share its findings regarding these alleged collaborations with its international partners, aiming to garner a collective response to the potential security threats posed by these alliances.