Pentagon Confirms North Korea Has Sent Troops to Russia
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has sent troops to Russia. This was confirmed the day before by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, ‘but it's unclear whether they are preparing to become complicit in Russia's war against Ukraine’. He added that it would be a ‘very, very serious problem’ if North Korean troops were deployed in Ukraine.
‘We see evidence that there are North Korean troops that have travelled to ... Russia,’ Austin told reporters in Rome. ‘What exactly they are doing remains to be seen. These are things that we have to figure out.’
Austin said the United States is trying to ensure that the North Korean soldiers are faithful to why they are in Russia. ‘We're going to keep pulling that thread and see what happens here,’ he said. ‘If they are accomplices in the war - [if] they intend to participate in this war on behalf of Russia - this is a very, very serious problem.’ The consequences of such a move would be felt not only in Europe, but also in the Indo-Pacific region, the secretary said.
‘We estimate that from early to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia. We estimate that these soldiers travelled by ship from the Wonsan area of North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia,’ White House National Security Communications Director John Kirby added on Wednesday.
‘These soldiers then travelled to numerous Russian military training sites in eastern Russia, where they are currently undergoing training. We do not yet know if these soldiers will be engaged in combat with the Russian military, but it is certainly a concern. After completing their training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military,’ Kirby continued. ‘We have briefed the Ukrainian government on our understanding of this situation, and we are, of course, consulting closely with other allies, partners and countries in the region on the implications of such a dramatic move and how we might respond.’
Kirby also said that ‘if North Korean soldiers engage in combat, such a development would demonstrate Russia's growing desperation in its war against Ukraine’.
Intelligence officials in South Korea and Ukraine have previously stated that North Korean troops are moving to Russia.
In turn, Russia and North Korea deny any troop movements. South Korea's National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong told lawmakers that North Korea plans to deploy 10,000 troops to Russia by December, a number that matches Ukrainian intelligence reports.
On Tuesday, South Korea said it may start sending weapons to Ukraine in response to the deployment. Officials said their response would be phased, depending on the depth of cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that if North Korean troops fight alongside Russians in Ukraine, it would be a ‘significant escalation.’
North Korea and Russia have sharply intensified their cooperation over the past two years and are in a standoff with the West. The United States, South Korea and their partners have accused North Korea of supplying artillery shells, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia to fuel its war against Ukraine in exchange for economic and military aid. In June, Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement on mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either country.