Ukraine’s former military chief has warned that World War III is already underway – with Vladimir Putin’s autocratic allies, North Korea, Iran and China, openly supporting his forces on the battlefield.

Valery Zaluzhny, who is now Ukraine’s envoy to the United Kingdom, told the UP100 award ceremony in Kyiv: ‘I believe that in 2024 we can absolutely believe that the Third World War has begun.’

The General said that as of this year, ‘Ukraine is no longer facing Russia. Soldiers from North Korea are standing in front of Ukraine.’

He made the comments after reports emerged that around 10,000 soldiers had been sent by Pyongyang to fight alongside Russian troops in the Kursk region, as Moscow aims to replenish its forces and reclaim the territory taken from it three months ago. 

Zaluzhny went on to highlight the support Putin’s armies had received from Tehran, which has sent thousands of Shahed attack drones to Moscow and also assisted it with the technology to build the drones itself, according to reports.

More than 8,000 Iran-developed drones have been launched since the war began two and a half years ago, Kyiv said in September, with many targeting civilian homes as well as military targets.