U.S. Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Michael R. Turner appealed to U.S. President Joseph Biden on Oct. 18 to respond immediately to reports of North Korea's troops preparing to join Russia's army fighting in Ukraine.
North Korean troops attacking Ukraine from Russia or entering Ukraine “must be a red line for the United States and NATO," Turner said.
Turner also cited public reports from Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence agencies that suggest North Korean troops may be moving via Russian naval vessels.
Calling the situation "alarming" and a major escalation of the conflict, Turner urged the U.S. and NATO to act immediately.
He requested an urgent classified briefing for the House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, emphasizing the need for swift U.S. and NATO action to prevent a broader conflict.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said that the first group of 2,600 soldiers will be deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incursion in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.
He said that close to 11,000 North Korean troops are in Russia and will be "ready to fight" in Ukraine by Nov. 1.
Chris York
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