Pentagon, State Department ‘concerned’ about North Korea reportedly fighting for Russia in Ukraine

U.S. officials expressed concern on Tuesday about North Korean soldiers reportedly fighting for Russia in Ukraine but stopped short of confirming the reports are correct.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that North Korea is transferring soldiers to the Russian military.

The U.S. government has said that North Korea supplied ammunition and ballistic missiles to Russia but both countries have denied that happened.

"We are concerned by reports of DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia, which if true would mark a significant increase in the DPRK-Russia defense relationship," said Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense. "Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine."

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the agency is “concerned” by the reports.

“If that's true, it would mark a significant increase in the relationship between those two countries, the relationship that you have seen develop over the past several months. It would also indicate a new level of desperation by Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties,” he said.