Russia Forms Special Battalion of North Korean Citizens to Participate in War Against Ukraine

According to Suspilne, sources within military intelligence report that Russian forces are forming a specialized “Buryat” battalion, which is being established under the 11th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade.

This battalion is primarily composed of individuals from North Korea, with an estimated personnel strength of approximately 3,000. Efforts are currently underway to equip these troops with small arms and ammunition.

According to intelligence assessments, the battalion is likely to be deployed for combat operations near the towns of Sudzha and Kursk, Russia. This development follows earlier statements from the Pentagon, indicating that North Korean military personnel arriving to assist Russian forces would serve primarily as “cannon fodder.”

Earlier 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.