[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS THAT NORTH KOREAN TROOPS ARE NOW IN RUSSIA, THOUGH THEIR EXACT MISSION REMAINS UNCERTAIN. DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN REVEALED THAT WHILE THERE IS EVIDENCE OF NORTH KOREAN FORCES ON RUSSIAN SOIL, THEIR SPECIFIC ROLE IS STILL BEING EVALUATED.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MARKS THE FIRST OFFICIAL U.S. CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING EARLIER ACCUSATIONS FROM UKRAINE AND SOUTH KOREA THAT NORTH KOREA WAS SENDING TROOPS TO SUPPORT RUSSIA IN ITS ONGOING WAR AGAINST UKRAINE. NATO AND ALLIED NATIONS ARE NOW CLOSELY WATCHING THE DEVELOPMENT.

[LLOYD AUSTIN
U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE]
“What exactly are they doing? It’s left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out. We’ll have more for you on that later. But yeah, you know, as we continue to look at this. There is evidence that there are DPRK troops, you know, in Russia.”

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

AUSTIN added THAT IF NORTH KOREAN TROOPS ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE FIGHTING, IT WOULD BE A SERIOUS ESCALATION WITH SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS, NOT ONLY FOR EUROPE BUT ALSO THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION.

THE DEPLOYMENT OF NORTH KOREAN FORCES ALSO RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT THE STATE OF RUSSIA’S MILITARY. AUSTIN SUGGESTED THIS MOVE COULD REFLECT DEEPER VULNERABILITIES IN RUSSIA’S ABILITY TO SUSTAIN ITS WAR EFFORT, AS MOSCOW INCREASINGLY RELIES ON EXTERNAL ALLIES LIKE IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FOR SUPPORT.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY PREVIOUSLY SHARED INTELLIGENCE THAT UP TO 12-THOUSAND NORTH KOREAN TROOPS COULD BE JOINING RUSSIAN FORCES.

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