We are increasingly worried that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the Russian Kursk region, says the Defense Department's spokesperson Sabrina Singh.
NATO confirms that North Korean forces have been sent to Russia to fight against Ukraine. They are already reported to be in place in the Russian border region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched an offensive in August.
At a press conference in Brussels, NATO's chief Mark Rutte calls the deepened cooperation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un a threat to Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security.
The deployment of North Korean soldiers in Kursk is also a sign of Putin's growing desperation, according to Rutte.
According to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, North Korean forces may have been sent into Ukrainian territory as early as last weekend. The President calls for increased international pressure on Russia and North Korea.
