The USA they estimate that the North Korean soldiers who are in the Russia will be deployed in the coming days on the battlefields in Ukraineas the US Secretary of State said today Anthony Blinkenadding that in this case they would reasonably be targets of the Ukrainian armed forces.

In a news conference after meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts, the US top diplomat said Russia was training North Korean soldiers in artillery systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and operational maneuvers of infantry units – suggesting that he intends to use North Korean forces on the front lines in Ukraine.

The US secretary of state said about 10,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, including 8,000 in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces still control territory after their surprise invasion last August.

“We have not yet seen these troops deployed on the battlefield against Ukrainian forces, but we estimate that this may happen in the coming days,” Blinken noted.

During the meeting earlier, the US and South Korean foreign and defense ministers discussed how Washington and Seoul would respond, Blinken said, arguing that the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces fighting in Ukraine was a “clear indication of inability” of Moscow to make up for the losses it is suffering on the battlefields.

Representatives of the US and South Korean governments also agreed that China must do more to curb North Korea’s provocative actions.

For his part, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that Washington will announce a new package of military aid to Kiev in the coming days, but did not reveal further details.