**Report: North Korean Troops Deserting Ukraine Frontline Shortly After Arrival**
Around 18 North Korean soldiers are believed to have deserted the Russian frontline, prompting searches by Russian forces. According to Ukraine's public broadcaster, Suspilne, these troops were stationed in the Kursk and Bryansk oblasts, just a few miles from the Ukrainian border when they went missing.
Intelligence sources indicate that the Russian military is actively looking for the deserters, while their commanders are reportedly attempting to keep the situation under wraps from higher authorities.
This development follows reports that Moscow intended to form a battalion of North Korean troops to aid in pushing Ukrainian forces back in the Kursk region. Ukrainian outlet LIGA noted that these soldiers were expected to participate in combat missions in southwestern Ukraine, where intense fighting continues.
The North Korean soldiers were set to create a "special Buryat battalion," named after the Mongolic ethnic group native to regions in Siberia and parts of northern Mongolia and China, according to sources cited by LIGA.
The relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow has strengthened in recent months, with both countries pledging mutual assistance in the event of an attack. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, where he and Kim Jong Un signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership pact." This agreement includes a clause similar to NATO's Article 5, stating that an armed attack on one member would trigger immediate military support from the other.
Last week, South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun stated, "Given that Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty resembling a military alliance, the likelihood of troop deployments is quite high." He also mentioned that recent reports from Ukrainian media about North Korean troop casualties were likely accurate. His comments came during a parliamentary audit, as reported by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
According to the Russian Telegram channel Kremlin Snuffbox, three additional North Korean officers were injured in a recent strike and have been sent to Moscow for treatment.
Last year, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate reported the arrival of North Korean personnel, including engineering troops, in the Russian-occupied areas near Donetsk.
Additionally, the Center of National Resistance, established by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, noted in September 2023 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had convinced North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to deploy citizens to the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk for construction efforts.
North Korea has emerged as a key ally of Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, which escalated when Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Kyiv in February 2022. The United States has accused North Korea of supplying artillery to Russia during the war, allegations that both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied.
