Blinken and Austin said North Korean forces involved in combat or combat support roles against Ukraine would become legitimate military targets. On Friday, the Biden administration announced another round of military assistance for Ukraine.
In recent months, Russian forces fighting against Ukraine have suffered as many as 1,200 casualties per day, Austin said. This attrition could be playing a role in Putin turning to foreign troops to avoid deploying more Russian troops to the battlefield, a move that could prove unpopular among everyday Russians.
Reports last year suggested that the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, started a recruitment campaign to form a volunteer militia to join the country’s war effort against Ukraine. Roscosmos offered its employees a sign-up bonus and a monthly salary far above the wages paid to most employees in Russia’s space program.
The arrival of North Korean troops near the battlefield is clearly escalatory. US officials previously released evidence Russia has used ballistic missiles produced in North Korea in its war against Ukraine. In exchange for missiles and other military munitions, Russia has shipped oil, corn, wheat, and other food products to North Korea.
But Russia’s support doesn’t end there. A White House spokesperson said in January that North Korea is seeking military assistance from Russia in violation of international sanctions, “including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials, and other advanced technologies.”
North Korea launched a new type of orbital-class rocket in May, using kerosene and liquid oxygen as propellants in place of more stable—though more toxic and less efficient—hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. This was a sudden, unexpected leap in capability for North Korea that raised questions about Russian involvement.
Austin said he hasn’t seen any evidence that Russia contributed to the debut flight of the Hwasong-19 missile this week, but US analysts are still evaluating information about the launch. Generally, Austin said, “technology would be at the top of the list” of products or know-how that Russia might provide North Korea, which “stands a chance of gaining in this exchange.
