Defense Secretary Austin says he's seen evidence N. Korea sent troops to Russia amid war on Ukraine

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed Wednesday the U.S. has "evidence" that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, while the South Korean government said thousands of those troops are training for the war in Ukraine.

The South Korean government has said roughly 3,000 North Korean troops are in Russia receiving training on drones and other military equipment prior to fighting in the war in Ukraine.

"We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops that have, that have gone to … Russia,” Austin told reporters in Rome.

However, he said it's not clear what the rogue nation's troops are doing in Russia. 

“What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out,” Austin said. "We'll have more for you on that later."

Still, he warned that North Korean troops fighting for Russian in Ukraine would be a "very serious issue." 

The supply of troops, if indeed true, would be an escalation in North Korea's support for Russia in its war on Ukraine. 

North Korea is already supplying advanced short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, which invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.