The United States and South Korea demanded on Wednesday that North Korea withdraw its troops from Russia, expressing concerns about the possibility of their involvement in the fighting in Ukraine.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed in a joint press conference his request for the withdrawal of the troops.

In a related context, the U.S. Department of Defense clarified that North Korea has sent around 10,000 soldiers for training in Russia, revising an earlier estimate of 3,000, which could bolster Russian forces near Ukraine in the coming weeks.