Russia sends North Korean deserters to Ukraine 'flesh attack': report

North Korean soldiers who were drafted to fight for Vladimir Putin but deserted at the front could be used in offensive operations against Ukrainian troops.

Ukraine's main intelligence agency has said Russia is training more than 11,000 soldiers from North Korea for the war in Ukraine to be ready for combat operations starting next month, confirming claims by South Korean intelligence services.

The prospect that Pyongyang could be involved in Putin's full-scale invasion sparked international concern about the looming escalation.

Last week it was reported that 40 North Korean soldiers were left in the forest area of ​​Khomutovsky district in the Kursk region, without food or instructions for further plans. A group of 18 people left their positions without permission to find their Russian commanders, but were found and arrested.

All 40 North Korean soldiers have been moved to the Lgov district of the Kursk region for further participation in offensive operations, the Ukrainian newspaper Hromadske reported, citing an unnamed Ukrainian intelligence official. The Ukrainian newspaper Babel also reported on the allegations.

“Russia could use 18 North Korean soldiers in the 'meat' attack who had previously tried to escape from positions in the Kursk region but were captured by the Russians,” wrote the Eastern European news agency Nexta.

“Flesh Attack” refers to what Ukraine calls Russian operations in which inadequately trained personnel are sent to storm the combat area, resulting in very high casualty rates.

Newsweek has asked the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and Russia for comment.

British defense officials said Russian forces suffered a massive increase in casualties in September, marking the highest monthly average of dead and wounded soldiers since the start of the war.

South Korea's defense ministry said North Korean soldiers were given Russian military uniforms and Russian-made weapons, as well as a fake certificate saying they were residents of Russia's Yakutia and Buryatia regions.

Amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, Seoul summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday and called on Pyongyang to immediately withdraw its soldiers from Russia, saying their presence violates the United Nations charter and threatens South Korea's security.

NATO and the US have not confirmed that North Korean troops were fighting for Russia. However, the head of the alliance, Mark Rutte, said on Monday that such an operation would significantly escalate the conflict.

When asked for comment, the US State Department referred to this Newsweek to comments from his spokesman Matthew Miller. Miller told reporters last week that if true, “it would represent a significant improvement in relations between these two countries” and “a new level of desperation for Russia.”