New York, 31 October 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The United States said up to 8,000 North Korean soldiers are near the Ukrainian border and could be deployed by Russia in the coming days.

"We now assess that there are some 10,000 North Korean soldiers in total in Russia, and the most recent information indicates that as many as 8000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed to the Kursk region," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

"We've not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days," Blinken added.

A combat deployment would make the troops "legitimate" targets in the war, he said.

It is the first time in 100 years that Russia has invited foreign troops into its country.

It remains unclear whether North Korean soldiers could be deployed to fight on Ukrainian territory or in areas of Russia occupied by Ukraine, which includes parts of Kursk.

According to UN diplomats, it is also possible that the North Koreans could be deployed behind the front line to carry out logistical tasks, for example.

South Korean intelligence had already said that North Korean troops in Russia were wearing Russian uniforms and had been given false identities to conceal their true origin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not deny the presence of North Korean soldiers and points out that Ukraine also uses personnel from NATO countries.