North Korea has sent troops to Russia, the Pentagon confirms

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has sent troops to Russia, the Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the troop movement in a statement, saying it would be a “very, very serious problem” if North Korean troops were deployed to Ukraine. South Korean intelligence said around 3,000 soldiers were sent to Russia and are currently undergoing training on drones and other equipment.

“What exactly are they doing? Remains to be seen. These are things we need to sort out,” Austin said.

Intelligence officials in both South Korea and Ukraine had previously said that North Korean troops were being moved to Russia.

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North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has sent North Korean soldiers to Russia. (Kristina Kormilitsyna via Getty)

Russia and North Korea denied the troop movements.

Cho Tae-yong, director of South Korea's intelligence service, told lawmakers that North Korea plans to send 10,000 troops to Russia by December, a figure consistent with claims by Ukrainian intelligence.

South Korean intelligence says North Korea has sent troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine

So far 3,000 soldiers have made the trip, but none have reportedly been sent into combat yet.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said it would be “very” serious if North Korean troops were stationed on battlefields in Ukraine. (Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

South Korea said Tuesday it may begin sending weapons to Ukraine in response to the deployment. Officials said their response would come in phases depending on the depth of cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said it would be a “significant escalation” if North Korean troops fought alongside the Russians in Ukraine.

Ukrainian military personnel could soon meet North Korean troops on the front lines. (REUTERS/Alex Babenko)

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North Korea and Russia, embroiled in separate confrontations with the West, have significantly increased their cooperation in the past two years. The United States, South Korea and their partners accuse North Korea of ​​supplying artillery shells, rockets and other things conventional weapons to Russia to fuel its war against Ukraine in return for economic and military aid. In June, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement providing for mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either country.

Greg Wehner of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.