US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has expressed his concern about North Korea’s possible involvement in the ongoing strife in Ukraine. Several reports have emerged of North Korea’s plans to dispatch troops to support Russia. Austin further warned, “If they are co-belligerents, if they intend to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue.”
Austin said this after his fourth trip to Kyiv, where he unveiled a $400 million military aid package to Ukraine. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, since early this month and are now training at several military locations in eastern Russia.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said nearly 11,000 North Korean infantrymen are training and that he expects some to be sent out by Nov. 1 to counter a Ukrainian offensive. That corroborates information from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, which earlier said North Korea intends to send four brigades or about 12,000 troops.
Furthermore, North Korea has been accused of selling ballistic missiles and artillery shells to Russia, some of which have surfaced in Ukraine. Zelenskyy pointed out that North Koreans are not just set to engage in combat but are also replacing the Russian factory workers who have been drafted.
The involvement of North Korea amidst the growing hostilities may prove that the personnel challenges for Russia in the conflict grow more vital as the country’s participation increasingly relies on the occupation of foreign troops. Last week, Ukraine’s drones attacked major military facilities in Russia to escalate fighting further. While Putin is working to solidify relations with global leaders, Moscow continues to fight a battle with the Ukrainian nation.
