Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds an Off-Camera, On-The-Record Press Briefing

View Online Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds an Off-Camera, On-The-Record Press Briefing Oct. 28, 2024 DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: As you're aware, on October 25th, the Israeli Defense Forces conducted precision strikes on military targets in Iran. Secretary Austin spoke to Minister Gallant on October 25th and again on the 26th to receive updates on the operation and to reaffirm the United States's ironclad commitment to Israel's security and support for its right to defend itself. The secretary also discussed the opportunities that now exist to use diplomacy to dial down tensions in the region, including a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza and an agreement in Lebanon that allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return safely to their homes. Switching gears, later this week Secretary Austin will participate in official engagements with his counterpart from the Republic of Korea. On Wednesday, the secretary will host Minister Kim here at the Pentagon for the 56th US-ROK Security Consultative Meeting. And on Thursday, Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken will co-host Minister Kim and Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho at the State Department of this — for the sixth US-ROK Foreign and Defense Ministerial, or 2+2. We'll have more information to share on these engagements, including details on press availability, soon. And lastly, shifting gears, we have seen reports from over the weekend indicating that DPRK soldiers have started arriving in western Russia. We believe that the DPRK has sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks. A portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, and we are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast near the border with Ukraine. As you've heard the secretary say, this is a very serious issue. Should DPRK soldiers be used on the battlefield, this would mark a further escalation and highlights President Putin's increasing desperation as Russia has suffered extraordinary casualties on the battlefield, and an indication that Putin may be in more trouble than people realize. This move would have serious implications for Europe and Indo-Pacific security as well. We are watching this closely and consulting with our Ukrainian partners as well as our allies on the implications of such a dramatic move. The US is committed to supporting Ukraine and surging security assistance, as you've seen with our most recent PDA announcements. And with that, I'm happy to take your questions. Do I see AP? Oh, Tara there you are. Q: Sorry, hiding back here. MS. SINGH: That's ok. Q: So, on the North Korean soldiers, will that come up this week with the Koreans during their visit? And how does that complicate things? Like, is State Department getting involved? How does that further maybe spill over into any sort of tensions in the Pacific? MS. SINGH: Well, as you heard me mention, this has broad implications for Europe and Indo-Pacific security. I would not getting ahead of the meetings, I think you can expect this to be a topic of discussion with the secretary and his counterparts, as well — as well as at the 2+2 meeting. In terms of, you know, implications with State, I mean, this has broad interagency implications not just for the United States, but for, as I mentioned, Europe and the Indo-Pacific. So, again, you know, without getting ahead of things, I would expect it to be a topic of conversation. Q: So, just to follow up on that, let's say US weapons are used to kill North Korean soldiers and that could have far reaching implications. I mean, how do you handle that, or you have — will you have limits on what US weapons can be used if it's a bunch of North Korean soldiers? MS. SINGH: No. I think I mentioned this on Thursday and the secretary has said this as well — If North Korea — if we see DPRK troops moving in and towards the front lines, I mean, they are co-belligerents in the war. And so, they are fighting on these front lines and the Ukrainians are defending their sovereign territory and pushing the Russians back. So, this is a calculation that North Korea has to make. They are sending their soldiers in into a war where we're seeing, you know, Russian casualties and losses, you know, upwards of 500,000 at this point. That is a calculation that, you know, DPRK leadership is making to send their soldiers into combat. But they would — if they are in combat, you know, they're fighting the Ukrainians, who are fighting for their sovereign territory. And we've made a commitment to Ukraine that we're going to continue to support them with whatever it takes. Q: Are there — are there North Korean forces in Kursk right now? MS. SINGH: So, as I mentioned — it is likely that they are moving that direction, towards Kursk, but I don't have more details just yet. Q: So, you know they're moving towards Kursk but — MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: But not in Kursk? MS. SINGH: I don't have more details, other than that our assessment is that they're likely moving in that direction. Yeah. Hailey? Q: Just to follow up on that, NATO sec gen said this morning that — MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: They're — they are units in Kursk. So, are we seeing something different, or you just don't have the level of detail quite yet? MS. SINGH: I just don't have more to provide right now. But, you know, it's our assessment that they're moving in that direction. Over the next few days, I think we'll have more fidelity. But right now, I just don't have more details to share. Q: And could you just provide an update on Kursk, on Ukrainians there? I think a few weeks ago we heard from senior military official that they anticipated Ukraine would be able to hold their territory in Kursk for the — I think they said, like, several months, if not longer. Is that still the assessment there? MS. SINGH: So, the secretary, when he was in Ukraine, got to, you know, receive more of an in-person briefing on their plans for Kursk and also in the east. You know, what we've heard from the Ukrainians is that they've created a buffer zone there, that they intend to hold that. The secretary understands the importance of the Ukrainians being able to hold Kursk, but there's still a significant fight in the East. So, you know, the secretary was able to talk through how they're distributing resources, brigades, etc. But, you know, certainly they're holding it right now and we're sending drawdown packages. You've seen, you know, us send two in the last week and a half. That will help in both of those fronts. Courtney? Q: Can you give us any more details on the additional — so, last we heard there were 3, 000. Now we're at ten. Did the 7,000 go in, like, over the weekend or recent days? And then can you — like, are they — can you give us anything about, like, the types of troops that we're talking about here? Do they have, like, heavy equipment like artillery? Any more detail about that? MS. SINGH: I don't have more details on the type of troops or equipment capabilities that they have. In terms of the numbers, what I have is that, you know, we estimate approximately 10,000 are moving to train in eastern Russia. That is going to help augment Russian forces. Again, don't have more fidelity to share right now on kind of what their makeup looks like, capabilities, etc. But, you know, we'll of course keep you updated on that. Q: And so, you're saying moving to train, meaning they're not all 10,000 there right now then? MS. SINGH: Moving towards Russia but not all of them are moving closer towards Ukraine. We assess that they are training in eastern Russia. Q: So, the 10,000 you right now are believed to be inside eastern Russia? MS. SINGH: Yeah, we believe that DPRK has sent around 10,000 total soldiers to train in eastern Russia. Q: Ok. And then, can you say anything about why you believe they're probably going to augment soldier — Russian soldiers in Ukraine? Is there any — like, what gives the US that indication? Anything — MS. SINGH: You mean augment Russian forces near Ukraine? Q: Oh, I'm sorry. You said near Ukraine. MS. SINGH: Yeah, near Ukraine. Yeah. Q: Never mind. I withdraw the question. MS. SINGH: Ok. Charlie and then Oren and then I'll come around here. Yeah. Q: Well, it leads on to that. I know that Kirby said last week that North Koreans fighting would be fair game, I think is the way he — MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: Describe them. But it may have been a calculated move not to send North Koreans into Ukraine but have them fight on Russian soil. Does that change the calculus at all? Are they still fair game if they're fighting inside Russia rather than inside Ukraine? MS. SINGH: Well, they'd be fighting along the border. Q: But they'd be on Russian soil, not inside Ukraine. MS. SINGH: I think what John Kirby said still stands. Q: No matter where they're fighting? MS. SINGH: Yep. Oren? Q: The numbers have more than tripled here in a matter of days, from 3,000 to 10,000. Is it your expectation the numbers of North Korean troops heading to Russia will continue to rise, especially because your estimate of 3,000 last week was behind — or lower than Ukrainian and South Korean numbers, and I think is still lower than Ukrainian and South Korean numbers. Will the number — do you have indications the number will continue to rise? MS. SINGH: Oren, the number could rise as Putin's desperation continues to rise. We also have to make our own intel assessments, you know, and consult with our partners and allies. Where we were last week is where we felt comfortable. Today, you know, we're seeing more movement, and we felt comfortable reading that out from here. But I think it's — you know, as more Russian soldiers, you know, fight this war, we're seeing, you know, upwards of 500,000 casualties, that is significant. That is an indication that, you know, Putin has failed to meet his strategic objectives. And at the end of the day, this shows — you know, the secretary uses this phrase, you know, he's tin cupping to the DPRK, Iran because he has failed to meet those battlefield objectives. And Ukraine is continuing to hold their fight in the east and with Kursk. So, in terms of the numbers rising, we certainly could see them go up. But right now, this is our — this is our assessment. Q: Hey, Sabrina? MS. SINGH: I'll come up — yes. Okay. Q: So, real quick, so how do we know — or how does the Pentagon know that they're expected to augment Russian soldiers in Kursk when we don't have the details on the troops or their equipment? You know, you can't provide specifics on what type of troops these are and what equipment they're coming with. MS. SINGH: Right. So, Carla, what I can tell you is that we expect them to bolster the Russian forces. I don't have, like, an assessment of their capabilities. I think the question is like what do these types of forces bring. Its additional bodies on the battlefield. But I don't have an assessment of, you know, the types of forces that DPRK is sending in. Q: And then real quick just to follow up on a couple of things from last week, do we have an update on the leaks? MS. SINGH: I don't have any update from last week of what I've provided. Q: Ok. And then on when Israel launched its counterattack, can you talk a little bit about how much heads up the Pentagon had? And did we put planes in the air? You know, what was our reaction? And then the last question. I think they hit S-300s in, you know, Syria or Iraq. How close did these strikes come to US forces? And did we play a role in helping to strike any of these targets? MS. SINGH: So, there was no US military role in Israel's operation on Friday night. In terms of, you know, how much of a heads up did we get, I mean, Carla, I think from, you know, October 1st when Iran launched that initial barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles, I think we said pretty much from right after that, you know, we're in close consultations with the Israelis. I'm not going to get into a timeline of, you know, more specifics than that, but we were in pretty close communication with them throughout. You know, there was — again, the secretary was in touch with Minister Gallant over the weekend. I think you can expect more calls as well, but I just don't have more for you on that. I'm going to — I'm going to go on to the — yeah. Q: Hold on. Just the second part of my question on the — how close they were to some of our troops in Syria and Iraq — MS. SINGH: Our forces were not at risk. Yeah. Yes. Q: Regarding North Korean troops in Russia, Russia claimed that, if that happened, no issue with the international law because they made a mutual treaty with North Korea. And North Korea claimed if that happened, no issue with international law. How do you explain such a claim? MS. SINGH: I mean, there's multiple violations of UN Security Council agreements, including the fact that you have a sitting member of the UN Security Council that invaded its sovereign neighbor. So, I think it speaks for itself. Yeah. Yeah, Will? Q: So, there were some reports over the weekend of attacks on US forces in Syria. Do you have any details on those? And is that viewed by the Pentagon as a potential response to the Israeli strikes? Is there concern that — that that could continue to escalate at all or — MS. SINGH: So, I saw some of the reports on that this weekend. We don't assess that those were attacks on US forces, but that there were — there was activity near the base, but it wasn't an attack on US forces in both Iraq and Syria. Q: Ok. Thanks. MS. SINGH: Yeah, of course. Yes? Q: Hi, Sabrina. I'm Ben with NHK. MS. SINGH: Hey. Q: Does the Pentagon have any assessment of what the DPRK is receiving from Russia in exchange for these soldiers? MS. SINGH: I mean, I think you can assess, you know, there's an intel sharing that will likely — I mean, I think first and foremost it's a — it's a broadening and deepening of a relationship, and we've spoken to that. You know, the DPRK continues to provide munitions that you're seeing being used on the battlefield, assuming Russia's also providing some type of support to DPRK. It's something that we're going to continue to monitor. As, you know, you heard me say, it's deeply concerning that we're seeing this burgeoning relationship and we're seeing DPRK soldiers potentially drawn into the fight. But it's something that we continue to monitor. Q: Thanks, Sabrina. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Yeah. Q: Thank you. So, prime minister — Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked the US for close coordination and support in addressing the strikes against Iran. So, in terms of — in terms of coordination of support, was that only limited to political coordination support? Did you offer any intelligence to assess? Did you have any forces from the Air Force in the — in the air, Navy, in case the Israelis needed help? MS. SINGH: So, Fadi, what I can tell you is, again, what I said is that we didn't have any military involvement in this operation. In terms of support, I mean, I think support is broad speaking, whether it be from this building, from the State Department, from other agencies within the administration. I think that speaks to broad Israeli support — or, sorry, US support to Israel and our commitment to their self-defense. But when it comes to this operation, we didn't have any support . Q: Even intelligence? MS. SINGH: Well, we have a — you know, a broad intel sharing relationship, but I just don't have anything on this operation. Q: And what is the assessment about how Iran might respond or not? Are you able to get to any conclusion on what you're seeing coming out of Iran? Do you expect another round of this tit for tat? MS. SINGH: Well, we believe that this should be the end of this tit for tat. We don't think that, you know, Iran should or needs to respond. On October 1st, Iran launched, you know, the 200 ballistic missiles that were targeting civilian population centers. Israel's response was, you know, targeted at military targets. We see this as a — as a way to off ramp. You are also seeing folks from this administration in the region continuing to consult, to push for a ceasefire, to, you know, push for the release of hostages. We want to see folks return home to their — to be able to go home on both sides of the border of Lebanon. So, that's something that we're focused on. So, we would urge Iran not to respond. Q: And then just finally, if I may, you spoke about the readout from the call between the secretary and Mr. Gallant, where he mentioned — talked about opportunities that now exist to use diplomacy right after Israel actually took military action against Iran. Why opportunities now exist for diplomacy? MS. SINGH: What do you mean? Q: Well, I don't know. What does the secretary mean? Why does the secretary assess after Israel hit Iran there is now an opportunity for diplomacy? MS. SINGH: Because we don't want to see this tit for tat continue to go. Again, Israel's response proportionate, precision, and was targeted at military targets. This is an opportunity for diplomacy, for de-escalation. That's something that we've been pushing for from the very beginning so it's not that it's anything new. But let's — you know, I think what we across this administration are pushing for is taking this time and urging for that path forward for diplomacy. Q: But you didn't — on the assessment, do you have any assessment on what Iran course might choose or whether they made a decision? MS. SINGH: I don't. Q: Ok. MS. SINGH: Anyone else? Okay. Q: I have one quick follow up to Will. MS. SINGH: Ok. Sure. Q: When you said that there was activity in Iraq and Syria but there was no attack on US forces, can you talk a little — would that — were they firing rockets into the air and didn't — MS. SINGH: We just don't assess that they were attacks on our bases, but that there was activity, you know, in the surrounding area. I'd direct you to CENTCOM for more information on that. I just don't — I don't have that in front of me. MS. SINGH: Konstantin Q: Thanks. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: Late last week, Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk has been in touch with Vladimir Putin and has apparently acquiesced to some of his requests to shut off Starlink coverage in Ukraine. I guess one question, you know, is the Pentagon conducting any sort of investigation or its own review of this reporting to affect his clearance or his standing as a contractor for DOD? And, I mean, at the moment, the Navy is installing the military version of Starlink on Navy ships. Any concerns for security? MS. SINGH: For that — for the latter part of your question, I'd direct you to the Navy for that. Q: Yep. Ok. MS. SINGH: For the reporting from the Wall Street Journal, so I can't corroborate the veracity of those reports. But consistent with the Privacy Act, we just don't comment on an individual's security clearance, and so I just — I don't have more to offer on that. Q: Ok. Thank you. MS. SINGH: Ok. Thanks, everyone.

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