U.S. says North Korea has sent troops to Russia for training : NPR

WASHINGTON — The U.S. mentioned Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia and are coaching at a number of areas, calling the transfer very severe and warning that these forces will probably be “truthful recreation” in the event that they go into fight in Ukraine.

The deployment raises the potential for the North Koreans to affix Russian forces in Ukraine and suggests expanded navy ties between the 2 nations as Moscow seeks weapons and troops to achieve floor in a grinding conflict that has stalemated after greater than two years.

Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin known as it a “subsequent step” after the North has supplied Russia with arms, and mentioned Pyongyang might face penalties for aiding Russia immediately. His feedback have been the primary public U.S. affirmation of North Korea sending troops to Russia — a improvement South Korean officers disclosed however was denied by Pyongyang and Moscow.

White Home nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby mentioned the U.S. believes that at the very least 3,000 North Korean troopers traveled by ship to Vladivostok, Russia’s largest Pacific port, in early to mid-October.

“These troopers then traveled onward to a number of Russian navy coaching websites in jap Russia, the place they’re at present present process coaching,” Kirby mentioned. “We don’t but know whether or not these troopers will enter into fight alongside the Russian navy, however that is definitely a extremely regarding chance.”

Kirby mentioned they might go to western Russia after which have interaction in fight towards Ukraine’s forces, however each he and Austin mentioned the U.S. continues to evaluate the scenario.

Precisely what the North Korean troops are doing in Russia was “left to be seen,” Austin advised reporters in Rome.

He added: “In the event that they’re co-belligerents, their intention is to take part on this conflict on Russia’s behalf, that may be a very, very severe problem, and it’ll have impacts not solely in Europe, it’s going to additionally affect issues within the Indo-Pacific.”

Kirby warned, nevertheless, that “I can inform you one factor, although, in the event that they do deploy to combat towards Ukraine, they’re truthful recreation.”

He mentioned a key query is what North Korea’s chief Kim Jong Un is getting out of this.

Russia and North Korea have sharply boosted their cooperation prior to now two years, and in June they signed a significant protection deal requiring each nations to make use of all out there means to offer speedy navy help if both is attacked.

South Korean officers fear that Russia might reward North Korea by giving it refined weapons applied sciences that would enhance its nuclear and missile packages that focus on South Korea. South Korea mentioned Tuesday it might take into account supplying weapons to Ukraine in response to the reported troop dispatch.

South Korea’s spy chief had advised lawmakers that 3,000 North Korean troops at the moment are in Russia receiving coaching on drones and different gear earlier than being deployed to battlefields in Ukraine.

South Korean intelligence first publicized experiences that the Russian navy had taken 1,500 North Korean particular warfare troops to Russia this month, whereas Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned his authorities had intelligence that 10,000 North Korea troopers have been being ready to affix the invading Russian forces.

On Wednesday, South Korean Nationwide Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong advised lawmakers that one other 1,500 North Korean troops have entered Russia, in accordance with lawmaker Park Sunwon, who attended Cho’s closed-door briefing.

Cho advised lawmakers his company assessed that North Korea goals to deploy a complete of 10,000 troops to Russia by December, Park advised reporters.

Park cited Cho as saying the three,000 North Korean troopers despatched to Russia have been cut up amongst a number of navy bases. Cho advised lawmakers that NIS believes they’ve but to be deployed in battle, Park mentioned.

Additionally talking collectively in regards to the briefing, lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun mentioned the NIS discovered that the Russian navy is educating these North Korean troopers the right way to use navy gear similar to drones.

Lee cited the NIS chief as saying Russian instructors have excessive opinions of the morale and bodily power of the North Korean troopers however suppose they may finally endure heavy causalities as a result of they lack an understanding of recent warfare. Lee, citing Cho, mentioned Russia is recruiting a lot of interpreters.

Lee mentioned NIS has detected indicators that North Korea is relocating members of the family of troopers chosen to be despatched to Russia to particular websites to isolate them. The NIS chief advised lawmakers that North Korea hasn’t disclosed its troop dispatch to its personal folks.

NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte on Tuesday mentioned North Korea sending troops to Ukraine would mark a “important escalation,” and mentioned he requested South Korea’s president to ship specialists to Brussels subsequent week to temporary the navy alliance.

Ukraine’s Navy Intelligence Directorate head, Kyrylo Budanov, advised the net navy information outlet The Conflict Zone on Tuesday that North Korean troops have been to reach to Russia’s Kursk area on Wednesday to assist Russian troops combating off a Ukrainian incursion.

Final week, South Korea’s spy company mentioned North Korea had despatched greater than 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles and different standard arms to Russia since August 2023 to replenish its dwindling weapons stockpiles.

Studies that the North is sending troops to Russia stoked safety jitters in South Korea. It has shipped humanitarian and monetary help to Ukraine, but it surely has to this point prevented immediately supplying arms in keeping with its coverage of not supplying weapons to nations actively engaged in conflicts.

North Korea has 1.2 million troops, one of many largest standing armies on the planet, but it surely hasn’t fought in large-scale conflicts for the reason that 1950-53 Korean Conflict. Specialists query how a lot North Korean troops would assist Russia, citing a scarcity of battle experiences.

Specialists say North Korea needs Russia’s financial help and its assist to modernize the North’s outdated standard weapons techniques in addition to its high-tech weapons know-how transfers.