U.S. "3,000 North Korean troops are training in eastern Russia...to be a legitimate target"

The White House officially confirmed that North Korean troops were dispatched to Russia and expressed concern about the possibility of being deployed to the war in Ukraine.

John Kirby, the White House National Security Council's communications adviser, said in a briefing that North Korea had sent at least 3,000 troops to eastern Russia in the early and mid-months.

The North Korean military said it traveled by boat from Wonsan area to Vladivostok, Russia, and is now training at several military training sites in eastern Russia.

Kirby says he is very concerned about the possibility and could travel to the western front of Russia to engage with Ukrainian forces, although it has not yet been confirmed whether North Korean troops will be sent to the war in Ukraine.

Kirby says that if North Korean troops are put into war, they are a legitimate game, a legitimate target, and that the Ukrainian military, like the Russian military, will defend itself against the North.

He added that there is no doubt that North Korean troops will die or get injured while fighting against Ukraine.

Kirby also pointed out that Russian and North Korean forces will have to overcome language barriers and command and control issues.