The United States and NATO both confirmed that -North Korea is sending troops to Russia- and warned that they would become legitimate targets of the Ukrainian military.
On October 23rd, John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, confirmed that North Korea deployed at least 3,000 soldiers to Eastern Russia earlier this month. This marks the first official acknowledgment from the U.S. government regarding North Korea’s military assistance to Russia.
In a briefing, Kirby stated, “We believe North Korea dispatched a minimum of 3,000 troops to Eastern Russia between early October and mid-October. Our assessment indicates that these troops embarked from Wonsan, North Korea, on naval vessels heading to Vladivostok, Russia. Currently, they are distributed across Russian military bases in the eastern region where they are undergoing training.”
Kirby expressed concern over whether these North Korean soldiers would engage in combat alongside Russian forces, stating, “This is a troubling issue because once they complete their training, they could be deployed to the western front to fight against Ukrainian forces.” He noted that the first group of North Korean soldiers is currently receiving basic combat training at three locations within Russia as they acclimate to the environment.
Looking ahead, Kirby emphasized that the U.S. plans to announce significant sanctions targeting those aiding Russia in the coming days, highlighting that the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea violates several United Nations Security Council resolutions. He warned that if North Korean military assets are deployed to the front lines in Ukraine, they would be considered legitimate targets for Ukrainian forces.
Additionally, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking to reporters in Rome on the same day, confirmed the reports of North Korean troop deployment to Russia, stating, “We have evidence that North Korea is sending troops to Russia. However, the specifics of what they are doing remain to be clarified.”
Austin refrained from detailing the extent of North Korea’s troop numbers or whether they would be integrated with Russian forces, but he cautioned that North Korean participation in the conflict could pose significant challenges for both Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
Shortly after Austin’s comments, NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah released a statement confirming allies had verified evidence of North Korean troop deployments to Russia. She warned that if North Korea’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict is confirmed, it represents a serious escalation in support of Russia’s illegal war, which could lead to significant tensions as Russia faces substantial losses.
NATO also announced that the South Korean government is expected to send a delegation to NATO headquarters in Brussels next week to report on the latest intelligence regarding this situation.
