The U.S., NATO and Europe are bracing for the possibility of a dangerous escalation in the Ukraine conflict, after Washington confirmed that some 10,000 North Korean troops were training in Russia — a step that the three hinted would also have ramifications for the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon said Monday that it assessed Pyongyang had sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia, with those forces expected to augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks.
“A portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, and we are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast near the border with Ukraine,” Defense Department deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said.
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