Pentagon says 'low number' of North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region

The Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that a “small number” of North Korean troops were in Russia's Kursk region near the Ukrainian border, adding that several thousand more troops were expected to arrive at any time.

Last week, White House national security communications director John Kirby confirmed that North Korea had moved at least 3,000 troops to eastern Russia between early and mid-October.

According to the Pentagon, about 10,000 North Korean troops have now been sent to Russia and are preparing to be sent to the front alongside Russian troops in the fight against Ukraine.

“We estimate that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) has sent a total of approximately 10,000 troops to eastern Russia for training and that these troops will likely reinforce Russian forces near Ukraine in the next few weeks,” said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen . Pat Ryder told reporters during a news conference Tuesday. “Some of these soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, towards the Russian Kursk Oblast, near the border with Ukraine.”

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport outside Pyongyang, North Korea, June 19. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin pool photo via AP, File)

Ryder said the troops were in addition to several thousand others already stationed in the Kursk region, adding that the Defense Ministry was concerned that Russia intended to use the soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukraine.

“There are indications that a small number (of North Korean troops) are actually in Kursk Oblast already, and a few thousand more are either almost there or will arrive soon,” he said.

The Pentagon has not yet been able to confirm whether the North Korean soldiers were actually in Ukraine.

“Early indications are that these troops will be used in some sort of infantry role,” Ryder reiterated. “But here too it remains to be seen what that could be. So we will continue to monitor closely.”

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A tank and a soldier move near Khasiv Yar, Ukraine, July 20, as Russian forces enter the outskirts of the area in the Donetsk region. (Ethan Swope/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Like the Defense Department, President Biden expressed concerns about preparing North Korean soldiers to fight Ukraine in Russia.

After discussing infrastructure in Baltimore on Tuesday, a reporter asked Biden if he was worried about North Korean troops in Russia.

“I’m worried about it, yes,” he said.

Biden was then asked whether the Ukrainians should strike back.

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President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speak at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

“If they enter Ukraine, yes,” Biden said.

Intelligence officials in both South Korea and Ukraine had previously said that North Korean troops were being moved to Russia.

“What exactly are they doing? Remains to be seen. These are things we need to clarify,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

South Korean intelligence says North Korea has sent troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine

North Korean soldiers march in Pyongyang. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

Russia and North Korea denied the troop movements.

Cho Tae-yong, director of South Korea's intelligence service, told lawmakers that North Korea plans to send 10,000 troops to Russia by December, a figure consistent with claims by Ukrainian intelligence.

South Korea said last week that it may begin sending weapons to Ukraine in response to the deployment. Officials said their response would come in phases depending on the depth of cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

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North Korea and Russia, embroiled in separate confrontations with the West, have significantly intensified their cooperation in the past two years. The United States, South Korea and their partners have accused North Korea of ​​supplying artillery shells, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia in return for economic and military aid to fuel its war against Ukraine.

In June, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement providing for mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either country.

Anders Hagstrom and Greg Norman of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.