The US expects that thousands of North Korean troops in Russia will “soon” enter combat against Ukraine, says US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, according to the Voice of America.

North Korea has been supplying Russia with artillery, missiles, and munitions for its war in Ukraine. Reports say that North Korea could send up to 100,000 troops to support Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. The soldiers are expected to reinforce Russia’s depleted forces amid ongoing losses along the front, including in Kursk Oblast.

Nearly 10,000 North Korean soldiers are reportedly stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where they are being “integrated into Russian formations,” US Defense Secretary Austin stated.

“Based upon what they’ve been trained on, the way they’ve been integrated into the Russian formations, I fully expect to see them engaged in combat soon,” he said.

Austin also noted that, at present, there is no substantial evidence that North Korean troops are already “actively engaged in combat.”

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha claimed that North Korea sought to acquire missile and nuclear technologies from Russia in exchange for sending soldiers to fight in the war against Ukraine.

Sybiha noted that the military-technical cooperation between Russia, North Korea, and Iran poses a direct threat not only to Europe but also to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Ukraine has also reported that the Russians were training North Korean soldiers on how to use drones and were planning to send drone instructors to North Korea.

Ukraine says North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast receive combat drone training

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