North Korean Soldiers Reportedly Desert Russian Frontline as Search Intensifies

According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), as of October 18, around 12,000 North Korean troops have already been deployed to Ukraine. Yonhap, a prominent South Korean news agency, reported that the NIS has confirmed North Korea’s direct involvement in the conflict, with an estimated 1,500 soldiers being transported between October 8 and 13 in the first phase of deployment.

Approximately 18 North Korean soldiers have allegedly deserted their posts on the Russian frontline, prompting an ongoing search by Kremlin forces. The soldiers, deployed near the Russian regions of Kursk and Bryansk—roughly four miles from the Ukrainian border—reportedly abandoned their positions, according to Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne.

Citing intelligence sources, Suspilne revealed that Russian commanders are working to track down the missing troops while attempting to hide the desertion from higher authorities. This incident comes on the heels of reports suggesting that Russia is assembling a North Korean battalion, sent by Kim Jong Un, to bolster efforts to repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region.

Ukrainian media outlet LIGA reported on October 16 that the North Korean troops were expected to engage in combat operations in Russia’s southwestern regions, where fighting with Ukrainian forces remains intense. The soldiers were reportedly slated to join a “special Buryat battalion,” named after the Buryat people, a Mongolic ethnic group native to Siberia, northern Mongolia, and China.