18 Foreign North Korean Soldiers Are Detained in Russia After Deserting

18 North Korean soldiers who left their posts in Kursk Oblast have been arrested by Russian authorities, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on October 21.

According to Ukrainian officials, Pyongyang, a crucial ally of Moscow, is apparently getting ready to send about 11,000 troops to aid Russia's military effort in Ukraine, with some troops already arriving.

Citing anonymous intelligence sources, Suspilne said on October 15 that 18 North Korean soldiers had left their positions in areas close to the Ukrainian border.

Hromadske went on to say that roughly 40 North Korean soldiers had visited Russia in order to share military knowledge with Russian troops.

The 18 soldiers were allegedly abandoned in a wooded area in Kursk Oblast for many days after training, without food or precise guidelines. They left their posts to seek their Russian command on October 14.

About 60 kilometres (40 miles) from their initial location, the missing soldiers were found and taken into custody by Russian officials two days later.

While U.S. Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Michael R. Turner cautioned that such operations could cross a "red line" for the United States and NATO and called for quick action, South Korean officials confirmed the transport of North Korean military troops to Russia.

A video purportedly depicting North Korean soldiers in a Russian military camp getting supplies and getting ready to launch an offensive on Ukraine appeared online on October 18.

As Russia and North Korea's military cooperation grows, Pyongyang has been shipping large quantities of ballistic missiles and artillery ammunition to Moscow since the onset of the full-scale war.

https://www.dagens.com/news/north-korean-soldiers-arrested-in-russia-after-deserting

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