US Isn't Sure Why North Korea Sent 3K Troops to Russia

Administration issues warning, concerned that force will fight Ukraine
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 23, 2024 6:15 PM CDT
US: 3K North Korean Troops Are Training in Russia
A TV screen shows an image of soldiers believed to be from North Korea standing in line to receive supplies from Russia during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea on Monday.   (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The US said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Russia and are training at several locations, calling the move very serious and warning that those forces will be "fair game" if they go into combat in Ukraine. The deployment raises the potential for the North Koreans to join Russian forces in Ukraine, the AP reports, and suggests expanded military ties between the two nations as Moscow seeks weapons and troops to gain ground in a grinding war that has stalemated after more than two years.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called it a "next step" after the North has provided Russia with arms and said Pyongyang could face consequences for aiding Russia directly. His comments were the first public US confirmation of North Korea sending troops to Russia—a development South Korean officials disclosed but was denied by Pyongyang and Moscow. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the US believes that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers traveled by ship to Vladivostok, Russia's largest Pacific port, in early to mid-October.

"These soldiers then traveled onward to multiple Russian military training sites in eastern Russia, where they are currently undergoing training," Kirby said, per the AP. "We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability." While US officials said they aren't sure what the troops are doing in Russia, Kirby said, "If they do deploy to fight against Ukraine, they're fair game." North Korea has 1.2 million troops, one of the largest standing armies in the world, but it hasn't fought in large-scale conflicts since the 1950-53 Korean War. Experts question how much North Korean troops would help Russia, given their lack of battle experience.

(More North Korea stories.)

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