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North Korea moved approximately 3,000 of its soldiers to eastern Russia to participate in military exercises in early or mid-October, the spokesman of the US National Security Coucil, John Kirby, said during a briefing on October 23.

Kirby said the soldiers arrived by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok before heading to several military bases in eastern Russia, where they are undergoing training.

“We don’t yet know if these soldiers will be involved in hostilities alongside the Russian military, but this is a highly concerning probability,” Kirby said.

Kirby said that the US had briefed the Ukrainian government and consulted other allies on the implications of such a move, and would continue to monitor the situation closely.

“If Russia is forced to turn to North Korea for military assistance, this is a sign of weakness and not strength,” Kirby said.

Soldiers from North Korea have been seen in Primorsky Krai, Russia, starting in mid-October, according to Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence.

Storyful has verified footage, circulating on October 18, that showed troops of unconfirmed origin at a base in Sergeevka, Primorsky Krai, near the Chinese border in Russia’s Far East.

Further verified footage, that circulated on October 22, also showed what Russian-language media reported were North Korean soldiers in Sergeevka.

Storyful has not independently verified the identity of the soldiers. Credit: The White House via Storyful