U.S. Forces 10,000...Move closer to some Ukra"

The U.S. Department of Defense says North Korea has sent 10,000 troops to Russia, some of which have already moved closer to Ukraine.

Deputy Pentagon spokesman Sabrina Singh told reporters that North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to eastern Russia for training and believes they will step up Russia's armed forces near Ukraine in the coming weeks.

Singh also confirmed that some of the North Korean troops had already moved close to Ukraine.

Singh said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had already publicly warned and that if North Korean soldiers are deployed to the battlefield, they are considered legitimate targets of attack as combat troops.

He added that the use of North Korean soldiers will have serious implications for the security of the Indo-Pacific region.