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North Korean soldiers will join the fight against Ukraine in the coming days, according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III made the comments during the 2+2 meetings with South Korean officials and US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken at the US State Department.
The meetings included discussions with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and National Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
“We now assess that North Korea has sent around 10,000 of its soldiers to train in eastern Russia,” Austin said.
“Our most recent information indicates that about 8,000 of those (North Korean) soldiers are now in the Kursk Oblast.
“Now, we’ve not yet seen these soldiers deploy into combat against Ukraine’s forces, but we expect that these North Korean soldiers will join the fight against Ukraine in the coming days.”
US officials have estimated there are now 11,000 to 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia and those troops would be classified as legitimate military targets if they engage in combat support operations against Ukraine.
Those North Korean troops are also reportedly being trained by Russia in infantry tactics, operation of unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery tactics, trench-clearing and combat support, according to US officials. They are also being supplied with Russian uniforms and equipment.
“The Kremlin has also provided these (North Korean) troops with Russian uniforms and equipment, and all of that strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in frontline operations in its war of choice against Ukraine,” Austin said.
“Make no mistake, if these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets.
“As I discussed last week in Kyiv, Ukraine’s military continues to perform admirably on the battlefield, and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s forces have suffered serious losses in recent months.
“Ukrainian forces have caused more than 1,200 Russian casualties per day, more than at any other time during Putin’s war. By ’tin-cupping’ to North Korea for manpower, Putin is showing the world another clear sign of weakness.
The Kremlin’s North Korean gambit just underscores how badly Putin’s war has gone and how much trouble he is in.”
