Ukraine has "information that two units of military personnel from North Korea are being trained — potentially even two brigades of 6,000 people each" — for combat in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.
"This is a challenge," the president said in his daily address. "But we know how to respond to this challenge. And it is important that our partners do not shy away from this challenge, as well."
"If North Korea can intervene in the war in Europe, then the pressure on this regime is definitely not strong enough," Zelenskyy said. "And if Russia is still able to expand and prolong this war, it means that everyone in the world who is still not helping to force Russia into peace is actually helping Putin to wage war."
"We expect a firm, concrete response from the world," he added. "Hopefully, not only in words."
Also Tuesday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that Russia is playing with lives beyond Ukraine.
"Russia's indiscriminate strikes on ports in the Black Sea underscore that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is willing to gamble on global food security in his attempts to force Ukraine into submission. ... In doing so, he is harming millions of vulnerable people across Africa, Asia and the Middle East to try and gain the upper hand in his barbaric war."
Starmer said Russia's conduct in the conflict has shown "no respect for human life or the consequences of their invasion across the world."
On the battlefield
Russian officials said Tuesday a Ukrainian drone attack caused an explosion and fire at a biochemical plant in the Tambov region.
Tambov Governor Maxim Yegorov said on Telegram the fire was extinguished early Tuesday and that preliminary information indicated there were no injuries.
Ukrainian drones also damaged two distilleries in the Tula region, officials said Tuesday.
Watch related report by Anna Chernikova:
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it shot down 11 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region, three drones over Belgorod, two over Kursk and each over the Tula and Oryol regions.
The governor of Belgorod reported two homes were damaged by falling debris from destroyed drones, while the governor Bryansk said the attack damaged one building.
In Ukraine, Sumy Governor Ihor Kalchenko said a Russian drone attack killed three people.
Kalchenko said Ukrainian air defenses shot down 25 Russian drones in the region.
