U.S. says North Korean troops in Russia, possibly to fight in Ukraine war

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a strategic missile base at an undisclosed location in the country in this image released Wednesday. | KCNA / KNS / VIA AFP-JIJI

by JESSE JOHNSON
October 24, 2024

The United States has for the first time confirmed that North Korean troops are in Russia — possibly to join Moscow’s war against Ukraine — a “very, very serious” move that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said would have ramifications for both Europe and Asia.

"There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia," Austin, who was traveling in Rome, said. The DPRK is the acronym for the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

But the U.S. defense chief and other officials said that it remained to be seen what exactly the North Korean troops would be doing in Russia.