North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un has sent troops to Russia, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the troop movement in a statement, saying it would be a "a very, very serious issue" if North Korean troops deploy to Ukraine.
"We assess that between early to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia. We assessed that these soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia," White House National Security communications director John Kirby added Wednesday. "These soldiers then traveled onward to multiple Russian military training sites in eastern Russia, where they are currently undergoing training. We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability.
"After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military," Kirby continued. "We have briefed the Ukrainian government on our understanding of this situation and we're certainly consulting closely with other allies, partners and countries in the region on the implications of such a dramatic move and on how we might respond."
North Korea and Russia, locked in separate confrontations with the West, have sharply boosted their cooperation in the past two years. The U.S., South Korea and their partners have accused North Korea of supplying artillery shells, missiles and other conventional arms to Russia to help fuel its war against Ukraine in return for economic and military assistance. In June, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact stipulating mutual military assistance if either country is attacked.