U.S. warns North Korean troops are fair game

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia was a sign of Moscow’s weakness. The United States estimated that as many as 3,000 North Korean soldiers were inside Russian borders, Kirby said. Those troops could soon deploy to the front lines in Ukraine. The United States remained unsure exactly where the Kremlin would position them, Kirby explained.

Last week, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia and more were expected. They will likely receive training, fake identification cards, and Russian uniforms, South Korean officials said. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, just days later, confirmed that Seoul’s information was accurate. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that South Korea’s president is considering sending weapons to Ukraine to counterbalance North Korea’s support for Russia.

Why is Russia using North Korean troops? North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia violated several United Nations Security Council resolutions, Kirby explained. But Russia has lost roughly 530,000 soldiers on the battlefield, according to U.S. estimates. And the Kremlin continues to suffer about 1,200 casualties—including both deaths and injuries—per day, Kirby said.

North Korean troops deployed to the front lines will face the same deadly force as Russian troops, Kirby said. Many North Korean soldiers will also likely be wounded or killed in head-to-head confrontations with Ukrainian forces, Kirby said.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report about how North Korea recently destroyed several inter-Korean roadways.