Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday he expects 8,000 North Korea forces to be deployed to Russia’s front line in its battle with Ukraine in the coming days. 

What You Need To Know

  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he expects North Korean troops to deploy to Ukraine within the coming days

  • He said 8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia's Kursk region

  • Russia is training the North Korean troops in artillery, UAVs and trench clearing, indicating they will be deployed to the front line of the fight with Ukraine

  • Blinken warned the troops would be legitimate military targets once they engage in combat

Blinken said the troops are currently being trained in the Kursk region of Russia, where they are learning how to operate artillery and unmanned aerial vehicles and to clear trenches.

“Should these troops engage in combat or combat support operations, they will become legitimate military targets,” Blinken said during a press conference with Defense Secretary Loyd Austin and South Korea’s foreign and defense ministers. 

“One of the reasons Russia is turning to North Korean troops is that it’s desperate,” Blinken said. “Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making.”

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.