Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  North Korea sending thousands of troops to Ukraine, officials say Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South Korean officials claim between 10,000 and 12,000 North Korean troops are preparing to fight alongside Russia. © APZelensky said at a Thursday press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, that North Korea was “preparing” to send 10,000 soldiers to fight in Ukraine. “But they didn’t move them to Ukraine or to Russia" yet, Zelensky said.  South Korea's spy agency said Friday that North Korea was preparing to send around 12,000 troops to Ukraine, according to the country's news reports.  Zelensky and South Korea have both previously said that at least a small number of North Korean officers were operating in Ukraine.  But the numbers they claimed this week were preparing to deploy would be a significantly higher amount of forces.  NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who appeared at the press conference with Zelensky on Thursday, said the Western security alliance was "very worried" about North Korean support for Russia.  "We have no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight,” he added. The Biden administration has also not confirmed that North Korean soldiers are fighting in Ukraine. North Korea has long supplied artillery shells and short-range ballistic missiles to Russia in return for access to critical technology. The alliance deepened earlier this year when Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to North Korea and met with leader Kim Jong Un.   The two established a mutual defense treaty to come to each other's aid in the event of an armed attack on their respective soils.  Sending troops directly into Ukraine could have widespread ramifications for North Korea and would deepen Russia's reliance on other countries, including Iran and China, for Moscow to stay in the fight.  "If it's true, then to my mind it shows a level of desperation," said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a Friday press conference.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Whelan says Brittney Griner was ‘great help’ in advocating for his freedom U.S. Marine Paul Whelan said WNBA star Brittney Griner was of “great help” in advocating for his freedom after being detained in Russia since 2018. Whelan, who was freed alongside Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a historic prisoner exchange in early August, said he saw a women’s basketball game airing on television once he touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and noticed Griner playing in the Paris Olympics ...  Full Story  Hamas official confirms Yahya Sinwar’s deathA senior Hamas official confirmed Friday the militant group’s leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by the Israeli military. Khalil al-Hayya mourned the killing of Sinwar, the orchestrator of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and said no Israeli hostages will be returned “before the end of the aggression on Gaza” and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. He added that Sinwar’s killing, which happened Thursday, …  Full Story  Israel needs to commit to Gaza rebuilding: Gen. David Petraeus (NewsNation) — Former CIA Director David Petraeus said the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar makes things temporarily more difficult for the peace process in Gaza because of a leadership vacuum, and lasting peace will depend on the will of the Israeli coalition government. “I don’t know who you talk to,” Petraeus told NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” on Thursday. “Is there actually any central command and control communications? …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  President Biden is returning from a trip to Germany on Friday, where he met with top European officials.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host the first-ever G7 Defense Ministers Meeting in Naples, Italy, on Saturday.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Trump compares imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters to Japanese Americans during WWII Former President Trump on Friday alleged nobody had been treated worse than those imprisoned for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, other than Japanese Americans who were put in internment camps during World War II. Full Story   On Tap for Monday  Events in and around the defense world:  The Center for Strategic and International Studies talks on the future of the U.S.-South Korean alliance during a 9:30 a.m. EDT online event. The Brookings Institution looks at new geopolitical challenges for a 2:30 p.m. hybrid event. The Wilson Center unpacks the Sandinista Revolution during a 4 p.m. online event. The Hudson Institute analyzes escalation dynamics and the new cold war for a 9:30 a.m. in-person event. The Council on Foreign Relations assesses the impact of the U.S. election on foreign policy for a 6 p.m. online event.  What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: In China, Harris is mostly seen as preferred to volatile Trump (Bloomberg) Israeli chief pathologist tells CNN Sinwar killed by bullet to the head (CNN)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: How Matt Drudge turned on Trump   “American Psycho,” screamed the banner headline on the Drudge Report this week underneath a photo of former President Trump swaying back and forth … Read more Kamala Harris continues to underperform in critical states Today’s polling speaks volumes; the Harris campaign’s increasing desperation speaks louder still. Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-ed related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: How the Navy can solve its submarine shortage  You're all caught up. See you next week!  Close Thank you for signing up! 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