North Korean troops are in Russia, U.S. says
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin at a press conference on Oct. 18 in Brussels. Photo: Omar Havana/Getty Images
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. has evidence that North Korean troops are in Russia.
Why it matters: Austin's comments are the first official acknowledgment from the U.S. about the recent deployments to Russia, a significant development that Ukraine and South Korea previously warned about.
Driving the news: "There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia," Austin said at a press conference, referring to North Korea.
- What the troops are doing in Russia remains to be seen, he added. Austin did not specify the number of troops included in the deployment.
- "If they're co-belligerents, if their intention is to participate in this war on Russia's behalf, that is a very, very serious issue," Austin added, noting this would have ramifications for Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
- Yet the development could suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin "may be even in more trouble than most people realize," Austin said.
- North Korea and Russia have both denied reports of the troop deployment, per the Washington Post.
The big picture: South Korea stepped up its warnings about North Korean troops movements in recent days, issuing alerts about the purported movements last Friday and on Monday.
- South Korea warned on Tuesday that it would consider supplying weapons to Ukraine in response to the troop movements, as South Korean officials worry that Russia may reward North Korea's aid with a cache of sophisticated weapons, AP reported.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that North Korean troops were preparing to join Russian forces in the war. He reiterated the warning during his nightly address on Tuesday.
Flashback: Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense partnership in June.
- U.S. officials have long claimed to have intelligence showing that Russia bought millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, which secretly supplied the armaments by disguising them as shipments to other countries.
Go deeper: What to know about Russia and North Korea before Putin's Pyongyang visit
