Russians search for 18 North Korean deserters near Ukraine’s border, Ukrainian intel source says

Eighteen North Korean soldiers have deserted their positions near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Bryansk and Kursk oblasts, according to a source in Ukrainian military intelligence who spoke to Liga on 15 October. The incident reportedly occurred approximately 7 kilometers from the border, with the motives of the North Korean military personnel currently unknown.

This development comes amid growing evidence of North Korea’s increasing military support for Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, now including not only artillery shell and missile supplies, but also boots on the ground.

The intelligence source reported that Russian forces have initiated a search operation for the deserters. However, they are simultaneously attempting to conceal information about the event from their higher command, suggesting potential concerns about the implications of the desertion.

• On 10 October, The Guardian reported that North Korean military personnel were assisting Russian units in launching ballistic missiles against Ukraine, citing Seoul and Kyiv sources.
• Two days later, on 12 October, The Washington Post revealed that thousands of North Korean infantry troops were undergoing training in Russia and could potentially be deployed to the front lines in Ukraine by the end of 2024.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Russia’s expanding alliance with North Korea on 13 October, stating that North Korean specialists were being sent to assist the Russian occupation army. The following day, Zelenskyy announced that the issue of North Korea’s de facto involvement in the war against Ukraine was discussed at a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff.

Earlier, on 4 October, a source in military intelligence informed Liga about the formation of a “special Buryat battalion” within the 11th separate airborne assault brigade of the occupation army, staffed by North Korean citizens. The same source reported that a Ukrainian missile strike near temporarily occupied Donetsk may have resulted in the elimination of six North Korean officers.

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