"18 North Korean Soldiers Who Left Their Posts in Russia Captured... Left Without Food"

"Teaching Russian Troops How to Use 'Military Balloons'"

Reports have emerged that 18 North Korean soldiers, who were deployed for operations on Russian mainland but reportedly deserted their posts, have been captured and detained.

On the 21st (local time), Ukrainian local media including the Kyiv Independent cited sources from their military and security sectors, reporting that Russian authorities apprehended 18 North Korean soldiers on the 16th in Komarichi, Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located 60 km away from the point of desertion.

The media reported that about 40 North Korean instructors and 50 Russian soldiers were deployed in the Komutovka area of Kursk Oblast, where the North Korean and Russian troops taught each other the use of military "balloons" and modern infantry combat tactics, respectively. Afterwards, these North Korean soldiers were redeployed from Komutovka to Lgov in the same oblast to be involved in offensive operations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Sources told the media, "The trained North Korean personnel were left in the forest for several days without receiving food rations or any instructions, and some deserted their posts to seek out the Russian military command."

Since early August, Russian forces have been pushing back Ukrainian troops who crossed the border into their Kursk Oblast and occupied some areas.

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that the Russian military had organized a "Buryat Special Battalion" composed of North Korean soldiers within the 11th Air Assault Brigade, and that these troops could be deployed in Kursk Oblast.