Pentagon says North Korea's troop deployment to war against Ukraine highlights Russia's desperation

She reiterated that the US is aware of the dispatch of about 3,000 North Korean soldiers to Russia, but the Pentagon does not know what they are doing there.

According to her, if North Korean soldiers engage in combat, it would indicate that Russian president Vladimir Putin has not achieved his strategic goals on the battlefield.

If North Korean troops join the war against Ukraine, it will destabilize the Indo-Pacific region.

"And of course, that has an impact to our allies, whether it be in Europe or in the Indo-Pacific, particularly the Republic of Korea... If it is the case that DPRK soldiers enter into combat, they would be co-belligerents with Russia. And that is a very serious issue. It's also serious that, you know, this does highlight Russia's desperation," Singh said.

The Pentagon declined to comment on whether the US would resort to direct military action if North Korean troops entered the war in Ukraine.

"I can't go down the road of hypotheticals because right now what exactly DPRK troops are doing in Russia still remains to be seen," she added.

North Korea sends troops to the front

North Korea has officially sent troops to Russian territory. They have been training at four training grounds. Information on the number of soldiers varies. The US and South Korea report about 3,000 troops, but according to Seoul, this number could reach 12,000 by the end of the year.

Ukrainian intelligence indicates that North Korea has sent about 11,000 military personnel to Russia. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, North Korea may be preparing two brigades of troops for the war in Ukraine, each likely consisting of 6,000 soldiers.

Zelenskyy also said that the first North Korean soldiers are expected to arrive in the combat zone by October 27-28.