North Korean soldiers joining Russia in combat, says US State Department

North Korean troops have begun engaging in combat operations alongside Russian forces, expressing concern that Russia had turned to North Korea for soldiers to fight in its war with Ukraine.

Washington: North Korean troops have begun engaging in combat operations alongside Russian forces, the US State Department said on Tuesday, expressing concern that Russia had turned to North Korea for soldiers to fight in its war with Ukraine.

"Over 10,000 DPRK (North Korean) soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk Oblast, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a briefing.