Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to further increase the size of the country’s army as it continues to struggle to achieve gains in the war in Ukraine.

A presidential decree will take the figure close to 2.5 million, including over 1.5 million active servicemen. It is the fourth such increase so far this year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is also resorting to North Korea to bolster its forces. In a social media publication, he said “there are currently more than 8,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory” and the country is preparing to deploy another 10,000 troops. “They are being selected for training and subsequent deployment to Russia,” Zelenskyy said.”In return, Russia is paying, among other things, with technology: production of shahed-type attack drones has been established in North Korea with Russian technical support. This is how evil encroaches, and how a threat to life in one part of the world spreads to other parts. This can only be overcome together,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia keeps struggling to make gains in Ukraine, with Kyiv recently managing to recapture large swaths of territory in northern Donetsk as it pushes back against Moscow’s operation to encircle its “fortress belt” of cities.

Kyiv’s operation “Vivaldi” recaptured 176 square kilometers of territory, including the freeing of three villages and the restoring of control of two more, Reuters detailed, citing Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi.

Moscow’s offensive is targeting a network of industrial centers that includes Sloviansk, Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka. Their roads, railways and urban terrain provide a defensive barrier between Russian forces and the more open plains farther west. A breach could make it easier for Moscow to push deeper into eastern and central Ukraine.

Kyiv still controls about 20% of Donetsk, one of Russia’s main territorial aspirations. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to demand control over all of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Zelenskyy last week called on U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to organize a trilateral meeting with Putin, but so far there doesn’t seem to be any diplomatic progress.

In fact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used his speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday to reiterate the country’s commitment to achieving its military aims in Ukraine.

“In 2022, we began a special military operation to protect people in Donbas and Novorossiya [New Russia], to protect them from elimination by the Kyiv regime” Lavrov told the assembly.

“Our fight for truth and justice will be seen through to the end. The objectives of our special military operation will be achieved and threats to our security will be eliminated,” the Russian diplomat added.