North Korea Deploys 10,000 Soldiers to Russia, Sources Report

North Korea has dispatched approximately 10,000 soldiers to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, according to a Western diplomat cited by the Kyiv Independent on October 15.

Earlier reports indicated that Russia is forming a special battalion of approximately 3,000 North Korean citizens, designated as the “Buryat” battalion, to participate in combat operations against Ukraine. However, recent information has emerged that 18 North Korean soldiers have fled from their positions near the border between the Bryansk and Kursk regions, just seven kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The motives for their escape remain unclear, and the Russian military has initiated searches while attempting to keep this information from higher command.

On October 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has referenced intelligence reports indicating North Korea’s de facto involvement in the ongoing war, after reports have emerged indicating that more than 20 soldiers were killed near Donetsk due to a missile strike on October 3, including six North Korean officers.

North Korea has reportedly provided Russia with millions of artillery shells and missiles since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Recent reports from Western intelligence suggest that Russia relies heavily on North Korea, receiving approximately half of its annual artillery shells from it.