The United States has confirmed that North Korea has deployed at least 3,000 troops in eastern Russia.
According to CNN, the White House on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, confirmed the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia, saying that it is a “highly concerning probability” that troops will join Moscow in a fight against Ukraine.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the US has assessed that North Korea has moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia between early to mid-October. These soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok.
Kirby asserted, “These soldiers then traveled onward to multiple Russian military training sites in eastern Russia, where they are currently undergoing training. We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability.”
He further 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.”
Moreover, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called the presence of North Korean troops in Russia “very, very serious.”
He told reporters in Rome, “There is evidence that there are DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) troops in Russia.”
To note, South Korea initially made claims about North Korean military presence in Russia and lawmakers said that Pyongyang had promised Russia to provide a total of about 10,000 troops till December 2024.
