WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed Thursday the 10,000 North Korean troops stationed in Russia are not just for show.
Austin said about 8,000 of them have now deployed to the Russia-Ukraine border.
“We expect that these North Korean soldiers will join the fight against Ukraine in the coming days,” he said.
In a joint press conference, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the development shows how desperate Russia is.
“Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine,” Blinken said. “Now, he’s turning to North Korean troops.”
Russia still will not confirm any military collaboration with North Korea.
In quite the exchange at the United Nations Thursday, the deputy U.S. ambassador sought answers directly from his Russian counterpart.
“Does Russia still maintain that there are no DPRK troops in Russia?,” asked Ambassador Robert Wood.
The Russian ambassador refused to answer the question, but Austin said if North Korean troops do engage in combat, “They would make themselves legitimate military targets.”
Austin said the U.S. will announce additional security assistance for Ukraine in the coming days.
This all comes as North Korea test fired a long-range missile overnight.
“We condemn it in the strongest terms,” Blinken said.
The missile was designed to reach the U.S., but officials said it did not have that capability.