North Korean Troops in Russian Uniforms are Heading Toward Ukraine: US

Washington: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that rth Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving toward Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilizing development.

Austin was speaking at a press conference in Washington with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, as concerns grow about Pyongyang’s deployment of as many as 12,000 troops to Russia.

US and South Korea say some of rth Korean troops are heading to Russia’s Kursk region on border with Ukraine, where Kremlin’s forces have struggled to push back a Ukrainian incursion.

Some rth Korean advance units have already arrived in Kursk region, and Austin said “ likelihood is pretty high” that Russia will use troops in combat.

rth Korea’s move to tighten its relationship with Russia has triggered alarms across globe, as leaders worry about how it may expand war in Ukraine and what Russian military aid will be delivered to Pyongyang in exchange.

Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, speaking at an emergency meeting of UN Security Council on Wednesday, said y expect as many as 4,500 rth Korean troops to be at border this week and to begin directly participating in combat operations against Ukrainian forces in vember.

Austin said officials are discussing what to do about deployment, which he said has potential to broaden or lengn conflict in Ukraine. Asked if it could prompt or nations to get more directly involved in conflict, he ackwledged that it could “encour ors to take action” but provided details.

“This is something that we’re going to continue to watch, and we’re going to continue to work with our allies and partners to discour Russia from employing se troops in combat,” Austin said.

Kim said he doesn't necessarily believe deployment will trigger war on Korean Peninsula but could increase security threats.

re is a “high possibility” that Pyongyang would ask for higher techlogies in exchange for its troops, such as receiving tactical nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, he said through an interpreter.

Both Kim and Austin called on rth Korea to withdraw its troops.

Russia has had to shift some resources to Kursk border region to respond to Ukraine’s offensive. U.S. leaders have suggested that use of rth Korean forces to augment Russia’s defenses indicates that Moscow’s losses during more than two-year war have significantly degraded its military strength.

“y're doing this because (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has lost a lot of troops,” Austin said, adding that Moscow has a choice between mobilizing more of its own forces or turning to ors for help.

Already, he ted, Russia has sought military weapons from or nations. Those include rth Korea and Iran.

U.S. has estimated re are about 10,000 rth Korean troops w in Russia. But ors have put number higher. And Kyslytsya provided an array of more specific numbers and details to UN Security Council.

Ukrainian ambassador said up to 12,000 rth Koreans were being trained at five bases in eastern Russia, including at least 500 officers and three generals from General Staff.

In addition to wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian small arms, Kyslytsya said y will be provided with Russian identity documents, “tably to conceal ir presence.” He said y are expected to be integrated into units manned by Russia's ethnic Asian mirities, including Buryats.

rth Korea’s U.N. Ambassador Kim Song defended his country's growing military cooperation with Russia and said Pyongyang stood ready to respond if Russia's “sovereignty and security interests” were threatened.

Earlier, a senior South Korean presidential official, who spoke on condition of anymity during a background briefing, said that more than 3,000 of rth Korean forces are believed to have moved toward combat zones in western Russia.

A Ukrainian official told that rth Korean troops are stationed 50 kilometers (30 miles) away from Ukrainian border with Russia. official, was t authorized to disclose information publicly and spoke on condition of anymity, did t provide any additional detail.

rth Korea also has provided munitions to Russia, and earlier this month, White House released ims it said were of rth Korea shipping 1,000 containers of military equipment re by rail.

A key worrisome question is what rth Korea will get in return for providing troops. But officials have yet to say specifically what Pyongyang may have requested or Moscow has offered.

In ir meeting at Pentagon, Kim and Austin agreed to continue large-scale military exercises, increase cooperation on nuclear deterrence and upgrade ir abilities to deter and respond to rth Korean missile launches by improving early launch warning systems, according to a fact sheet released by Pentagon on Wednesday.

Austin and Kim are scheduled to meet Thursday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at State Department.