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The Biden administration says North Korean troops may soon be directly involved in Russia's war against Ukraine. That is according to the latest U.S. intelligence reports. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports this would mark a major escalation in Russia's nearly three-year-long war against Ukraine.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: According to the latest U.S. assessments, there are about 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says 8,000 of them have already deployed to the Kursk region. That's the Russian region that Ukrainian forces invaded this past summer.
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ANTONY BLINKEN: We've not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days. Russia has been training DPRK soldiers in artillery, UAVs, basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, indicating that they fully intend to use these forces in frontline operations.
KELEMEN: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the North Koreans have been given Russian uniforms and equipment.
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LLOYD AUSTIN: Make no mistake. If these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets.
KELEMEN: Russia's ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council meeting Wednesday that his country's military cooperation with North Korea is transparent and part of a strategic partnership. Austin says it's a sign of weakness because Russia is suffering high casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine.
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BLINKEN: By tin cupping to North Korea for manpower, Putin is showing the world another clear sign of weakness. The Kremlin's North Korean gambit just underscores how badly Putin's war has gone and how much trouble he's in. This is the first time in more than a century that Russia has welcomed foreign troops onto its own soil.
KELEMEN: He says China, which Washington believes can pressure both Russia and North Korea, should be taking this seriously and asking Russia some hard questions. South Korean defense and foreign ministers echo that and say they might send weapons to Ukraine in response. At their meeting at the State Department, the U.S. and South Korean officials also expressed alarm over North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Michele Kelemen, NPR news, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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