The Pentagon says 10 thousand North Korean soldiers are in Russia

The Pentagon says some 10,000 North Korean troops have been sent to eastern Russia for training – triple its previous estimate. Megumi Lim reports from Kyiv.

The number was released soon after NATO confirmed that North Korean troops had been dispatched to assist Russia.

ABC news reports that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Monday that this development signifies “a significant escalation” in North Korea’s participation in the conflict and indicates “a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war.”

The addition of thousands of North Korean soldiers to Europe’s largest conflict since World War II is expected to increase pressure on Ukraine’s already fatigued and strained military. Furthermore, Western officials warn that it will heighten geopolitical tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific region, affecting countries like Japan and Australia.