PYONGYANG (dpa-AFX) - North Korea dispatched approximately 10,000 soldiers to Russia's Far East, the Pentagon says.
Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed at a news conference that they are expected to train alongside their Russian counterparts at Far Eastern Federal District.
'A small number of North Korean soldiers are already present in Russia's Kursk Oblast, near Ukraine's eastern border,' he told reporters.
National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby had last week confirmed the presence of about 3,000 North Korean soldiers in eastern Russia.
'Initial indications are that these troops will be employed in some type of infantry role,' Ryder said. He said Washington remains concerned that Russia plans to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk.
The North Korean presence in Kursk underscores Russia's struggle to man and reinforce its forces as they fight to recapture the region, according to the spokesman.
'The fact that they now need to outsource for foreign troops to help support their forces inside Russia indicates that there's some serious questions in terms of their ability to continue to sustain their personnel requirement.'
North Korea's expanded contribution to the war comes on the heels of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin's visit to Kyiv last week, where he reaffirmed the United States' steadfast support for Ukraine.
North Korea is one of Russia's few open allies in its war on Ukraine. North Korea has shipped arms and munitions to Russia, 'and this is a next step,' Austin said during that visit. Also, the Defense Department announced its latest aid package containing critical capabilities for Ukraine valued at nearly $400 million.
Ryder reconfirmed Ukraine's right to use that equipment to defend itself.
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