North Korea has sent troops to Russia, the Pentagon confirms

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has sent troops to Russia, the Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the troop move in a statement, saying it would be a “very, very serious matter” if North Korean troops were deployed to Ukraine. South Korean intelligence stated that about 3,000 troops have been sent to Russia and are currently being trained in drones and other equipment.

“What exactly are they doing? It remains to be seen. These are things we need to figure out,” Austin said.

Intelligence officials in both South Korea and Ukraine had previously stated that North Korean troops were being transferred to Russia.

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North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has sent North Korean soldiers to Russia. (Kristina Kormilitsyna via Getty)

Russia and North Korea have denied the troop movements.

South Korean National Intelligence Director Cho Tae-yong told lawmakers that North Korea plans to send 10,000 troops to Russia by December, a number consistent with claims by Ukrainian intelligence.

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So far, 3,000 troops have made the journey, but none have reportedly been deployed in combat.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says it would be “very” serious if North Korean troops were deployed to battlefields in Ukraine. (Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

South Korea said on Tuesday it may send weapons to Ukraine in response to the deployment. Officials said their response would come in phases depending on the depth of cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said it would be a “significant escalation” if North Korean troops fought alongside the Russians in Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers could soon face North Korean troops on the front lines. (REUTERS/Alex Babenko)

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North Korea and Russia, locked in separate confrontations with the West, have greatly increased their cooperation in the past two years. The US, South Korea and their partners have accused North Korea of ​​supplying artillery shells, missiles and other weapons conventional weapons to Russia to help fuel the war against Ukraine in exchange for economic and military aid. In June, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact establishing mutual military assistance if either country were attacked.

Greg Wehner of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.