WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are heading for Ukrainein what he called a dangerous and destabilizing development.

Austin spoke at a news conference in Washington with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun as concerns grow over Pyongyang’s conduct of up to 11,000 troops in Russia.

The US and South Korea say some of the North Korean troops are moving towards Russia’s Kursk region on the border with Ukraine, where Kremlin forces have struggled to repel a Ukrainian incursion.

Some North Korean advance units have already arrived in the Kursk region, and Austin said “the likelihood is quite high” that Russia will use the troops in combat.

North Korea’s move to tighten the relationship with Russia has set off alarms around the globe as leaders worry about how the war in Ukraine could escalate and what Russian military aid will be delivered to Pyongyang in return.

Austin said officials are discussing what to do about the deployment, which he said has the potential to be expanded or extended. the conflict in Ukraine. Asked if it might prompt other nations to become more directly involved in the conflict, he acknowledged that it might “encourage others to take action,” but did not elaborate.

“This is something we will continue to pursue and continue to work with our allies and partners to deter Russia from committing these troops into combat,” Austin said.

Kim said he did not necessarily believe the deployment would spark war on the Korean Peninsula, but it could increases security threats.

There is a “high possibility” that Pyongyang will demand superior technology in exchange for its troops, such as receiving tactical nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, he said through an interpreter.

Both Kim and Austin called on North Korea to withdraw its troops.

Russia had to shift some resources to the Kursk border region to respond Offensive of Ukraine. US leaders have suggested that the use of North Korean forces to bolster Russia’s defenses indicates that Moscow’s losses during the more than two-year war have significantly degraded its military power.

“They’re doing this because (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has lost a lot of troops,” Austin said, adding that Moscow has a choice between mobilizing more of its own forces or turning to others for help.

Already, he noted, Russia has sought military weapons from other nations. These include North Korea and Iran.

The US has estimated that there are about 10,000 North Korean soldiers now in Russia. Seoul and its allies estimate the number sent to Russia has risen to 11,000, according to a senior South Korean presidential official, who spoke on condition of anonymity during a background briefing.

More than 3,000 of them are believed to have moved to battle zones in western Russia, the South Korean official said, without specifying locations.

A Ukrainian official told The Associated Press that North Korean troops are stationed 50 kilometers (30 miles) away from Ukraine’s border with Russia. The official, who was not authorized to release the information publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide any additional details.

North Korea has also supplied ammunition to Russia, and earlier this month the White House released images it said were of North Korean shipments. 1,000 containers of military equipment there on the railway.

A key question of concern is what North Korea will get in return for providing troops. But officials have yet to say specifically what Pyongyang may have asked for or what Moscow has offered.

In their meeting at the Pentagon, Kim and Austin agreed to continue large-scale military exercises, increase cooperation on nuclear deterrence and improve their ability to deter and respond to North Korean missile launches by improving early release warning systems, according to a published fact sheet. by the Pentagon on Wednesday.

Austin and Kim are scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at the State Department on Thursday.

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