Thousands of North Korean troops stationed in Russia are expected to enter combat in Ukraine imminently, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has stated.

Speaking in Fiji, on the final stop of a nine-day Asia trip that included visits to Australia, the Philippines and Laos, Austin revealed that approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers had been integrated into Russian military units stationed near Ukraine's border.

"Based upon what they've been trained on, the way they've been integrated into the Russian formations, I fully expect to see them engaged in combat soon," Austin said, also noting that there is currently no confirmed evidence of these forces being actively engaged in combat.

Amid speculation that North Korea has been compensated with both payments and access to advanced military technologies, such as missile systems and reconnaissance satellites, the UK-based Open Source Centre reported on November 21 that satellite imagery showed Pyongyang had received more than 1mn barrels of oil since March. These transfers contravene UN sanctions, which prohibit the sale of oil to North Korea, except in small quantities, as part of measures aimed at restricting its nuclear weapons development.

South Korean intelligence agencies have previously reported that North Korean soldiers are being paid around $2,000 each – a sum equivalent to 83 years’ wages for the average North Korean citizen. These funds are likely being funnelled into the regime’s military and domestic programmes.

This development follows warnings from Kyiv that Russia has mobilised a force of 50,000 troops to attempt to reclaim land in the Kursk region, a border area partially occupied by Ukraine after a rapid offensive in August.

Earlier in November, Bloomberg cited sources familiar with assessments by some Group of 20 nations in reporting that Pyongyang was prepared to send as many as 100,000 troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.