3,000 North Korea troops training in Russia: US

The U.S. warns 3,000 North Korean soldiers training in Russia could be legitimate targets if they fight in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON:

At least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia and are training there, the United States said Wednesday, warning that they would become legitimate targets for Kyiv if they engage in combat in Ukraine.

Russia and North Korea have boosted their political and military alliance amid the Ukraine war, with Pyongyang facing long-standing accusations of supplying arms to Moscow's army.

"We assess that between early to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists.

The troops traveled by ship from North Korea to Vladivostok.