Some 18 North Korean soldiers are believed to have deserted the Russian frontline, with Kremlin fighters reportedly searching for them.
The troops were deployed in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk oblasts, about four miles from the border with Ukraine, when they deserted, the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (Suspilne) reported.
Unnamed intelligence officials said Russian soldiers are now searching for the North Korean soldiers.
It comes after reports that Moscow was planning to assemble a battalion of North Korean nationals to help push Ukraine’s forces out of Kursk.
