U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on October 23 that there is evidence North Korea has sent troops to Russia, calling it a “next step” after Pyongyang provided Moscow with arms.
“We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops” that have gone to Russia, Austin told reporters during a visit to Rome. “What exactly they’re doing? Left to be seen.”
Analysts are still assessing the situation, Austin said, but Pyongyang could face consequences for aiding Russia directly.
“If they’re co-belligerents, their intention is 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,” he said.
NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah said allies are discussing the matter.
"If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in North Korea's support for Russia's illegal war and yet another sign of Russia's significant losses on the front lines," Dakhlallah said in a statement.
"We are actively consulting within the Alliance on this matter, and the North Atlantic Council will receive a briefing from [South Korea] and further discuss this matter soon," Dakhlallah said.
At the White House later on October 23, national-security spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. believes that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers traveled by ship to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East 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. “We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability.”
Kirby said the North Korean troops could go to western Russia and then engage in combat against Ukraine's forces. He added that if the North Korean troops are deployed against Ukraine, "they will become legitimate targets."
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on October 22 that North Korea sending troops to Ukraine would mark a “significant escalation.” He added that he had asked South Korea's president to send experts to Brussels next week to brief the military alliance.
In Seoul, National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong told South Korean lawmakers on October 23 that 3,000 North Korean troops are now in Russia receiving training on drones and other equipment before being deployed to battlefields in Ukraine. Cho said his agency assessed that North Korea aims to deploy a total of 10,000 troops to Russia by December.
Russia and North Korea have denied the troop movements. But the two countries have sharply boosted their cooperation in the past two years and signed a defense pact in June.