North Korea has reportedly sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, according to a Western diplomat cited by the Kyiv Independent on October 15.
Previous reports indicated that Russia was assembling a special battalion of 3,000 North Korean citizens, called the "Buryat" battalion, to fight in Ukraine.
But more recent intelligence has revealed that 18 North Korean soldiers fled from their posts near the Bryansk and Kursk regions, only seven kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Their reasons for escaping remain unclear, though Russian forces have launched a search operation and are reportedly trying to keep this incident hidden from top commanders.
On October 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to intelligence reports confirming North Korea’s direct involvement in the war.
This follows reports that a missile strike near Donetsk on October 3 killed over 20 soldiers, including six North Korean officers.
North Korea has been a key supplier for Russia throughout the conflict, providing millions of artillery shells and missiles.
Western intelligence estimates that Russia now relies on Pyongyang for about half of its annual artillery needs, highlighting the deepening military ties between the two countries.
