US confirms North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia for training and possible Ukraine combat
Updated 11:06 PM GMT+5, October 23, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. defense secretary said Wednesday there is evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, calling it a “very, very serious issue” if they join the war in Ukraine on Moscow’s side and warning of possible consequences.
South Korea’s spy chief, meanwhile, told lawmakers that 3,000 North Korean troops are now in Russia receiving training on drones and other equipment before being deployed to battlefields in Ukraine.
“We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops” that have gone to Russia, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters during a visit to Rome. “What exactly they’re doing — left to be seen.”
His comments were the first public U.S. confirmation of North Korea sending troops to Russia. He added: “If they’re co-belligerents, their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue, and it will have impacts not only in Europe, it will also impact things in the Indo-Pacific.”
At the White House later Wednesday, national security spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. believes that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers traveled by ship to Vladivostok, Russia’s largest Pacific port, in early to mid-October.
“These soldiers then traveled onward to multiple Russian military training sites in eastern Russia, where they are currently undergoing training,” Kirby said. “We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability.”
Kirby said they could go to western Russian and then engage in combat against Ukraine’s forces.
Austin called the troop deployment a “next step” after the North has provided Russia with arms, and said Pyongyang could face consequences for aiding Russia directly. He did not provide details, saying analysts were assessing the situation.