WASHINGTON D.C., DC — "Within days."
That's how soon it will be before North Korean soldiers join Russia on the front lines in its war with Ukraine.
That was the prediction Thursday from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, speaking following a meeting with South Korean officials at the State Department.
Austin said 8,000 North Koreans are now in position in the Kursk Oblast.
He said they have been trained by Russian forces on artillery, unmanned aerial vehicle and basic infantry operations, and they've even been issued Russian uniforms.
Austin had a stern warning for them.
"Make no mistake, if these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine, they would make themselves legitimate military targets," he said.
Austin said the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin had to resort to borrowing troops from North Korea "underscores how much trouble he is in."