Thousands of North Korean troops are now positioned near Ukraine’s border and are likely to enter combat in the coming days, the U.S. says.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the North Korean soldiers, who are wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian gear, have been trained by Russian troops in artillery, drones and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing.
Blinken said this “strongly indicates” the North Koreans would be used on the front line, and therefore become legitimate targets for Ukrainian forces. He estimated there are around 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, including up to 8,000 in the Kursk border region.
“We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days,” Blinken said on Thursday after meeting with his South Korean counterpart.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia “in the strongest possible terms” and called for their immediate withdrawal. The U.S. also said China should do more to rein in North Korea.
The deployment of North Korean troops is a result of the close relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two countries struck a mutual defense pact in the summer, and North Korea has already provided munitions to Russia for its war effort.
In exchange, there are concerns about what military aid Russia may now provide to North Korea, which test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday. The U.S., Japan and South Korea condemned the launch as a “flagrant violation” of U.N. resolutions.
The involvement of North Korean forces marks a significant escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, drawing in a new, authoritarian regime against the backdrop of the upcoming U.S. elections. The U.S. has vowed to continue providing security assistance to Ukraine in the face of these evolving threats.
