{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  North Koreans days away from entering fight in Ukraine About 8,000 North Korean troops in Russia are in the country’s Kursk border region and are expected to enter Moscow’s war with Ukraine in the “coming days,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. © AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool Russia has been training the North Koreans in artillery, basic infantry operations, drones and trench clearing, indicating “that they fully intend to use these forces in front line operations,” he told reporters following a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts in Washington, D.C.  “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 said, adding that if the North Korean troops enter the fight they would become legitimate military targets. The Pentagon earlier this week said about 10,000 North Korean soldiers were training in Russia and were seen outfitted in Kremlin uniforms and equipment enroute to Kursk, where Ukrainian forces launched an incursion this summer. Blinken and Austin said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reliance on the new troops is a sign the Kremlin is struggling in the fight. The U.S. has assessed the Russian military is suffering 1,200 casualties per day, more than at any time in the war.  “Putin has been throwing more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine. Now he's turning to North Korean troops, and that is a clear sign of weakness,” Blinken said. Austin, meanwhile, said the 10,000 North Korean soldiers assessed to be in Russia “won't come close” to replacing the numbers Moscow has lost.  During the meeting, the U.S. and South Korean officials discussed a range of options to respond to the development, and Blinken said Washington would announce new security assistance for Ukraine in the coming days. The meeting between U.S. and South Korean officials comes after Pyongyang conducted its longest ever test flight of an intercontinental ballistic missile earlier on Thursday. The weapon flew for about 86 minutes before crashing into the sea off Japan. North Korea called the missile the “world's most powerful strategic weapon,” and an “appropriate military action” against enemies. 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:   Netanyahu tells US envoys that Israel must enforce security in any Lebanon cease-fire deal Israel’s prime minister told top Biden administration officials on Thursday that the main points of any cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah must provide Israel the ability to counter security threats from Lebanon and return Israeli citizens to communities in the north of the country.  Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein, senior White House officials focused on the Middle East, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …  Full Story   White House ‘strongly condemns’ North Korean missile test The White House on Wednesday warned North Korea “needlessly” raised tensions with the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. A spokesperson for the national security council said the United States “strongly condemns” the test launch out of North Korea, calling it a “flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.” Sean Savett said in a statement that the U.S. …  Full Story   North Korean troops with Russian uniforms, equipment moving toward Ukraine: Pentagon Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday urged North Korea to withdraw troops from Russia after its forces were observed wearing Kremlin uniforms and carrying Russian equipment en route to the Kursk border region. Speaking at the Pentagon alongside South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Austin called the deployment “dangerous and destabilizing,” and said he was increasingly concerned that Moscow plans to use the North …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  The Defense Department today released its fiscal year 2024 Military Intelligence Program Budget. Senior White House officials Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today in Jerusalem to try to advance a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. The Pentagon has set pre-trial proceedings for Jan. 13-24 for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the defendant charged in the attack on the USS Cole in October 2000.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Perceptions of crime improve in Gallup survey Americans’ perceptions of local and nationwide crime have improved, according to a new Gallup poll, with fewer people saying crime in their area is higher. Forty-nine percent of Americans said the amount of crime within their “area” is higher than a year ago in the new poll, while 34 percent said … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will host a conversation with Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on the ongoing conflict in Gaza at 11:30 a.m. Bob Woodward will discuss his newest book "War" at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., at 7 p.m.   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: U.S. turns to China to stop North Korean troops from fighting for Russia (The New York Times) Marine sergeant major busted down for wearing nine unauthorized awards (Military Times) 163,000 veterans and military family members fall in for poll worker duty on Election Day (Military.com)   Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Conservatives in furor over Julia Roberts ad A new Harris-Walz campaign ad voiced by actor Julia Roberts encourages women to vote for Vice President Harris in the presidential election, even if … Read more Trump sues CBS for $10B over Harris’s ’60 Minutes’ interview Former President Trump is suing CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview it broadcast with Vice President Harris earlier this month that … Read more   Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: The 76 dangerous days between the election and the inauguration Whoever wins must stop sleepwalking through World War III North Korea comes to Europe: How will the next president respond?     You're all caught up. 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