US says 3,000 North Korean soldiers sent to eastern Russia for training

The U.S. government said at least 3,000 North Korean troops were sent to Russia earlier this month and are now receiving training at military bases.

White House Homeland Security Spokesperson John Kirby confirmed sending troops during a news conference, saying they were transported by ship in early to mid-October to eastern Russia from the North Korean area of ​​Wonsan.

The soldiers were brought through Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, Kirby said, adding that it is still unclear whether they will engage in combat with the Russian military after concluding their training, now underway in three different locations.

“But this is certainly a very worrying probability,” he said. “After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian army.”

He added: “Let’s be clear, if North Korean soldiers enter combat, this development would demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine.”

Kirby’s remarks came after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in the first US acknowledgment of sending troops, said it would be “very, very serious” if the intention is for North Korean soldiers to participate in the war on behalf of Russia.

North Korea sends troops to Russia to support war in Ukraine

«It will have repercussions not only in Europe. “It will also have repercussions in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin told reporters in Rome.

Although he noted that there is “evidence” that there are North Korean soldiers in Russia, Austin said it remains uncertain what they are actually doing.

In Seoul, South Korean lawmakers said Wednesday that the number of North Korean soldiers sent to help Russia in the war will reach 10,000 by December.

The information was made public after a closed-door briefing on the situation by South Korea’s spy agency.

According to one of the lawmakers, the National Intelligence Service said Russian military exercise instructors found that North Korean troops have high stamina and morale but lack knowledge about modern warfare, such as drone strikes.

Earlier this year, U.S. officials accused North Korea of ​​supplying projectiles and ballistic missiles to Russia.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened their bilateral ties. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that includes a provision for mutual assistance if the other is attacked.

In exchange for helping Russia, officials believe North Korea could receive not only economic aid but also Moscow’s expertise in advancing Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities.

On Wednesday, Kirby also said the United States plans to announce “significant” additional sanctions against facilitators of Russia’s war in Ukraine in the near future.