US Has Evidence North Korean Troops Are in Russia, Austin Says

The U.S. defense secretary said it would be a ’very serious issue' if North Korean troops join the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at a news briefing following his meeting with the Ukrainian president and other Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Oct. 21, 2024. Sergei Olexandrov/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Oct. 23 that there’s evidence that North Korea has deployed troops to Russia, although why exactly they are there remains unclear.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the first to flag a suspected North Korean troop deployment to Russia earlier this month.