Many among the 10,000 odd North Korean soldiers who were sent for training in eastern Russia are expected to soon join Russia's battle against Ukraine.
"We now assess that North Korea has sent around 10,000 of its soldiers to train in eastern Russia...Our most recent information indicates that about 8,000 of those (North Korean) soldiers are now in the Kursk Oblast. Now, we have not yet seen these soldiers deploy into combat against Ukraine's forces, but we expect that these North Korean soldiers will join the fight against Ukraine in the coming days," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said on Thursday.
According to Austin, these North Korean soldiers were trained by Russia in artillery operations, unmanned aerial vehicle operations, and basic infantry tactics and, have been provided uniforms and equipment.
All these "strongly indicate that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in frontline operations in its war of choice against Ukraine," he said.
He warned that if the North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves military targets.
Ukrainian forces have caused more than 1,200 Russian casualties per day, more than at any other time during Putin's war, Austin said.
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"By 'tin-cupping' to North Korea for manpower, Putin is showing the world another clear sign of weakness. The Kremlin's North Korean gambit just underscores how badly Putin's war has gone and how much trouble he is in."
He assured that the US will continue to offer security assistance to Ukraine, including artillery, anti-air defense, armored vehicles, munitions and other crucial capabilities.