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."
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Kirby also said "if North Korean soldiers do enter into combat, this development would demonstrate Russia's growing desperation in its war against Ukraine.
"Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield every single day. But President Putin appears intent on continuing this war. If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, this would be a sign of weakness, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin," Kirby told reporters at the White House press briefing. "It would also demonstrate an unprecedented level of direct military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, with security implications in Europe as well as the Indo-Pacific. As we've said before, Russia's cooperation with the North Korean military is in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which prohibit the procurement of arms from North Korea and military arms training. "
Intelligence officials in both South Korea and Ukraine had previously stated that North Korean troops were being transferred to Russia.
"What exactly are they doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out," Austin has said.
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Russia and North Korea have denied the troop movements.
South Korean National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong told lawmakers that North Korea plans to deploy 10,000 troops to Russia by December, a number that lines up with claims from Ukrainian intelligence.
South Korea said Tuesday that it may start sending weapons to Ukraine in reaction to the deployment. Officials said their response would come in phases linked to the depth of cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said it would be a "significant escalation" if North Korean troops fight alongside Russians in Ukraine.
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.
Fox News' Greg Wehner, Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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