Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  US confirms: North Korean troops are training in Russia The U.S. has assessed at least 3,000 North Korean troops are undergoing training at military bases in eastern Russia, with fears they will eventually be sent to Ukraine to fight alongside Kremlin forces.© APDefense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier also said the U.S. has seen evidence that North Korean troops were in the former Soviet state. House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) swiftly released a statement saying Washington should consider taking “direct military action” if North Korean troops enter the war in Ukraine.  “The Biden-Harris Administration must make clear that North Korean troops entering this conflict are a red line for the United States,” Turner said.  “If North Korean troops were to invade Ukraine’s sovereign territory, the United States needs to seriously consider taking direct military action against the North Korean troops,” he added.  Between early to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia via ships from the Wonsan region in North Korea to the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. The soldiers then traveled onward to three military sites in eastern Russia where they are undergoing basic combat training, Kirby said.   “We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability,” he said.  He added that after completing training, the soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military, a development that would “demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine.”   The U.S. has briefed the Ukrainian government on the situation, to include the implications of such a move and how the U.S. might respond, according to Kirby.  He also gave a stark warning that should the North Korean troops be employed against Ukraine, “they will become legitimate military targets.”  “If they do deploy to fight against Ukraine, they’re fair game, they’re fair targets, and the Ukrainian military will defend themselves against North Korean soldiers the same way they’re defending themselves against Russian soldiers,” he said.   Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — 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:  Blinken struggles to heal US-Israel rift after Hamas leader’s deathSecretary of State Antony Blinken left Israel this week with little tangible progress on scaling up humanitarian deliveries to the Gaza Strip or brokering a cease-fire and hostage release deal, despite U.S. hopes that the killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar last week would be a turning point toward ending the war.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown little interest in diplomacy or halting military operations, …  Full Story  2 US service members injured during counter-ISIS mission in IraqTwo U.S. troops were injured Tuesday in a joint raid with Iraqi security forces that killed at least seven senior Islamic State group leaders, according to the Pentagon. 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To be sure, Democrats … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Sinwar’s UNRWA ties show Congress was right to cut off funding Harris’s foreign policy must differ from Biden’s — even if it means copying Trump  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe