According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, there are now approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia, with about 8,000 stationed in the Kursk region. This assessment was shared after a meeting between U.S. and South Korean Defense and Foreign Affairs Ministers in Washington.
While the United States has not yet confirmed North Korean involvement in active combat, Blinken expects this could occur in the coming days. Reports indicate Russian forces are training North Korean troops in artillery use, anti-aircraft missile operation, and basic infantry tactics, signaling plans to deploy them on the front lines.
Blinken emphasized that if North Korean forces engage in hostilities or support operations against Ukraine, they would be treated as legitimate military targets. He described Russia’s outreach to North Korea as a “clear sign of weakness,” noting that Russian losses in eastern Ukraine have reached approximately 1,200 soldiers daily—the highest rate since the war began. This is the first instance in a century of Russia relying on foreign military support.
