North Korea's Troops In Ukraine A "Very Serious Issue" - US Defence Secretary
United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has called reports of North Korea preparing to enter the Ukraine war with troops a “very serious issue.”
Austin said this following his fourth visit to Kyiv, where he announced a US$400 million package of US weapons for Ukraine, reported Al Jazeera.
On Wednesday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby revealed that Washington believes at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers arrived by sea this month to Vladivostok, Russia’s largest Pacific port. He said:
These soldiers then travelled onward to multiple Russian military training sites in eastern Russia, where they are currently undergoing training.
We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability.
He added that should they fight against Ukraine, “they’re fair game.”
North Korea is also accused of exporting ballistic missiles and artillery shells, which have already been found detonated on Ukrainian soil.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, told US outlet The War Zone that 11,000 North Korean infantrymen are training in eastern Russia and are set to be deployed to Ukraine by November 1.
The first batch of 2,600 soldiers is expected to combat a Ukrainian counter-invasion in Kursk, using Russian weapons and ammunition.
On October 18, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it had learned Pyongyang had recently decided to deploy four brigades amounting to 12,000 troops to Ukraine, according to Yonhap News Agency.
That was also the figure given by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening address on Tuesday.
The NIS monitored the first batch of 1,500 troops being ferried to Vladivostok between October 8 and 13, who were reportedly issued fake ID cards to disguise themselves as Russian soldiers.
South Korea has suggested it might actively assist Ukraine with offensive weapons if North Korea joins the war on Russia’s side.
If confirmed, North Korean fighters’ presence would suggest that Russia is struggling with personnel shortages.
Russia has been fighting this war with volunteers and contract servicemen, often from former Soviet republics, and has avoided using regular Russian draftees.
Throughout the past week, Ukraine has estimated more than 1,300 Russian casualties per day, claiming over 600,000 Russian casualties for the entire war.
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