President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement came a day after The New York Times reported that Moscow is preparing to launch an offensive in Kursk Oblast with a force of 50,000 soldiers, both Russian and North Korean.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has deployed nearly 50,000 troops to Kursk, the southern Russian region where Kyiv launched its surprise counteroffensive in the summer.

Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Saturday that there were reports North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces. "We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces,