Success of North Korean military in war in Ukraine will depend on their integration into Russian army – US State Department

The US Department of State has said that Russia's success on the battlefield using the North Korean military will depend on the level of their integration into the Russian army.

 State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel reiterated at a briefing that the United States is "incredibly concerned" about Russia's decision to ask the DPRK to supply soldiers to continue the war against Ukraine.

The spokesman also confirmed that more than 10,000 DPRK soldiers had been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them had moved to Kursk Oblast, where they had begun to take part in hostilities alongside Russian troops.

Russian troops have trained DPRK soldiers in artillery, UAV operations and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, which are critical skills for fighting on the frontline.

"However, Russia’s battlefield success using these DPRK troops will in large part be dictated by how well the Russians can integrate them into their military. Some of the challenges they would need to overcome are interoperability, the language barrier, command and control, and communications," Vedant Patel said.

He said that the United States is consulting closely with allies and partners and other countries in the region on the implications of this development.

Last week, the United States confirmed that North Korean troops had recently participated in hostilities in Kursk Oblast for the first time.

In addition, according to The New York Times, 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops are preparing to launch a large-scale counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast.

NATO countries condemned Russia and North Korea's decision to engage North Korean troops in combat operations against Ukraine.