On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that there is proof of North Korean troops operating within Russia. He described their presence as a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict that began with Russia’s unprovoked invasion in 2022, which has resulted in many casualties.

“There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia,” Austin commented to reporters accompanying him in Rome, using the formal name for North Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“What exactly they are doing remains unclear. We need to find out more,” he added.

A U.S. official has corroborated Austin’s brief announcement about the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. North Korea is already supplying Russia with significant quantities of artillery shells, which are critical for the ongoing battles, especially in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pointed to intelligence indicating that two units could consist of as many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers, who are expected to join Russian forces in the conflict.

Earlier on Wednesday, South Korean lawmakers reported that North Korea has deployed 3,000 troops to Russia to assist in its campaign against Ukraine, following insights from the national intelligence agency. This new estimate is double the previous figure provided by officials in Seoul.

According to the lawmakers, Pyongyang had committed to sending a total of approximately 10,000 troops, with their deployment anticipated to be finalized by December.

This new data comes after Seoul’s National Intelligence Service revealed on Friday that around 1,500 special forces had already been sent to Russia by sea.

“There were indications of troops being trained in North Korea during September and October,” stated Park Sun-won, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, following their briefing.

“It seems that these troops have now been spread out across various training bases in Russia to acclimatize to the environment,” he noted.

Zelenskyy has called on international allies to act in response to the signs of North Korean participation in Russia’s aggression.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied any arms transfers but have expressed intentions to strengthen their military partnership, which was formalized in a mutual defense treaty during a summit in June. The Kremlin dismissed Seoul’s claims about troop movements as “fake news.”

A U.S. diplomat remarked on Monday that Washington is in discussions with its allies about the ramifications of North Korea’s potential involvement, stating that this would be a “dangerous and highly concerning development” if accurate.

Although Pyongyang has not issued a public response to the assertions from Seoul and Kyiv, efforts have been made to suppress news about troop movements, according to lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun.

“There were reports suggesting that families of the selected soldiers were so distressed that their faces were marked with tears,” Lee mentioned, citing the intelligence agency.

“There are also indications that North Korean authorities have moved and isolated these families to maintain control and prevent the spread of rumors.”

Lee further reported that the agency confirmed that Russia had gathered a significant number of translators to work with the North Korean troops, preparing them for the use of military technology, including drones.

“Russian trainers believe that while the North Korean military possesses admirable physical capabilities and high morale, they lack knowledge of modern combat methods like drone warfare,” the lawmaker elaborated.

“As a result, there may be substantial casualties if these troops are deployed to combat fronts.”

On Tuesday, the South Korean presidential office called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops from Russia, warning that should military collaboration between North Korea and Russia intensify, it may consider providing lethal aid to Ukraine.