At least 3,000 North Korean soldiers traveled to eastern Russia earlier this month and are undergoing training, according to the White House.
The troops traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia, between early and mid-October, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. The troops traveled to three military training facilities, at which they are undergoing a “basic kind of combat training and familiarization,” he explained.
“We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a concerning probability. After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military,” Kirby explained.
It’s unclear whether the North Korean soldiers will fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine, but if they do, Kirby said they would be fair game for the Ukrainians to target.
Hours earlier, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin became the first administration official to confirm reports from Ukrainian and South Korean leaders that North Korea had provided troops to Russia.
Austin said that if “they’re co-belligerents, if their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf,” then it will “have impacts not only in Europe” but also in the Indo-Pacific region.
Kirby and Austin declined to say what they believed North Korea was getting in return for providing thousands of troops, though they argued that accepting such help demonstrates Russia’s “growing desperation,” as the former put it. They also said the United States would continue to monitor the situation, and Kirby said the administration would be conferring with allies on how to respond.
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A senior U.S. defense official told reporters earlier this month that Russia’s military has suffered more than 600,000 casualties during the 2 1/2 years since it began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Over the war, Russian military leaders have shown no qualms about the high casualty totals in exchange for limited gains.
North Korea provided Russia with artillery and ballistic missiles more recently. China and Iran have also aided Russia’s military efforts, but neither has gone to the extent of sending troops to Russia.