STORY: The United States expects North Korean troops in Russia to enter the fight against Ukraine imminently.
That's according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday (November 1), who said 10,000 troops are thought to have traveled to Russia.
"...as many as 8,000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed to the Kursk region. We've not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days."
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Korean soldiers on its territory.
Ukrainian forces continue to hold territory in the Kursk region after fighting their way into the Russian border area in August.
At a press conference with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts, Blinken said Russia has trained the North Korean soldiers in multiple aspects of warfare, and "fully intend" to use the forces in frontline operations.
They would then, he added, become legitimate military targets.
"Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine. Now he's turning to North Korean troops and that is a clear sign of weakness."
Earlier on Thursday (October 31) North Korea conducted its longest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile test.
South Korea has warned Pyongyang could get missile technology from Russia in exchange for troop deployment in Ukraine.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy publicly warned of North Korea's involvement on Oct. 13.
In an interview on Thursday (October 31) he blasted what he called a "zero" response from his allies.
He said a weak reaction would encourage Russia's Vladimir Putin to further beef up the contingent.
He also expressed surprise by the quote, "silence" out of China, as one of the security guarantors in Asia.
Blinken also urged China to use its influence to rein in Pyongyang.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui met in Moscow on Friday.
Choe said North Korean President Kim Jong Un gave an order to quote, 'unswervingly and powerfully support' the Russian army.
She said North Korea would "firmly stand next to our Russian comrades... until the day of victory".
Many Western analysts argue China should be alarmed by any North Korean participation in Russia's war, saying it's a sign Pyongyang has reduced its reliance on Beijing.
