North Korea's Kim Yo Jong denies Zelenskyy's claim on additional troops deployment

SEOUL: North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, on Wednesday (Aug 19) denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's claim that Pyongyang plans to send up to 50,000 more troops to Russia to fight for its ally.Kim Yo Jong, a top official in North Korea's ruling party, said in a statement published by state media KCNA that Zelenskiy's estimate was "groundless" and "a self-staged incident".Zelenskiy made his claim in a post on X this month, and he called on South Korea to provide support for his country's air defences.Kim Yo Jong said responsibility for the outbreak and for the prolongation of the Ukraine crisis lay entirely with the United States and the West. North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk Region in 2024, under a comprehensive strategic par