U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Wednesday there is evidence that North Korean soldiers are in Russia and that what they are doing there is “left to be seen.”
Austin cited a “strengthened relationship” between Russia and North Korea, noting that North Korea has provided weapons to Russia.
“If they’re co-belligerents, if they intend to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue, and it will have impacts not only in Europe, it will also impact things in the Indo-Pacific as well,” Austin said.
Austin also highlighted Russian casualties in the war it launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, saying the North Korea development is an indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin “may be in even more trouble than most people realize.”
Austin’s assessment was quickly backed up by NATO officials, who are awaiting additional briefings from South Korea, which went public with its intelligence on the North Korean troop movements last week.
His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government had information that two North Korean military units were training in Russia for potential combat in Ukraine.
