US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, marking the first official acknowledgment by a senior US official of this development. This move comes as the relationship between North Korea and Russia has strengthened following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We have evidence that North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia,” Austin said during a press briefing in Rome on Wednesday. “Their exact mission is still unclear.”
Still images from a video depict North Korean soldiers receiving equipment and preparing to assist Russia in its efforts against Ukraine. ©Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication & Information Security
According to a senior US official, thousands of North Korean soldiers have recently arrived in Eastern Russia and are undergoing training. However, US intelligence has not yet determined their specific role.
A senior administration official suggested that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing North Korean forces to fight in Ukraine, it would indicate a severe level of desperation on Russia’s part.
Austin further stated from Rome that Putin “may be in even more trouble than many realize.”
Still images from a video depict North Korean soldiers receiving equipment and preparing to assist Russia in its efforts against Ukraine. ©Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication & Information Security
While there is no indication that North Korean troops have entered Ukraine, their presence in Russia has raised concerns about a potential escalation of the conflict.
The US is still assessing the intended role of the North Korean forces and whether they plan to be deployed to Ukraine. Austin warned, “If they are participating as co-belligerents, this is a very serious issue, not only for Europe but also for the Indo-Pacific region.”
When asked about what North Korea stands to gain from providing manpower to Russia, Austin said the US is still investigating the specifics of their arrangement.
Still images from a video depict North Korean soldiers receiving equipment and preparing to assist Russia in its efforts against Ukraine. ©Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication & Information Security
In recent months, the military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has deepened, raising alarms in Kyiv and Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently cautioned that North Korean forces are aligning with Russia, recently informing a NATO summit that as many as 10,000 North Korean soldiers and technical personnel were being prepared.
Still images from a video depict North Korean soldiers receiving equipment and preparing to assist Russia in its efforts against Ukraine. ©Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication & Information Security
A Ukrainian intelligence source previously told CNN that a small number of North Koreans have already been working with the Russian military, assisting in engineering tasks and sharing knowledge about North Korean ammunition.
In addition, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that North Korea had sent 1,500 troops, including special forces, to Russia for training.
