Why a fresh wave of North Korean soldiers may fight in Russia's war in Ukraine
North Korea will continue to send its soldiers to fight in Russia's war, but only for as long as it is profitable to do so, writes the BBC's Quentin Sommerville.
An Indonesian report reveals that eight individuals may have been unwittingly recruited to fight for Moscow in its conflict with Ukraine, potentially part of an even larger issue. Southeast Asian countries, particularly Indonesia, are increasingly becoming targets for Russian fraudsters who exploit economic desperation to lure nationals into their ranks.
Ukraine’s intelligence agency stated that Indonesia had become a recent example of nations whose citizens are being deceived into serving in Russia's depleted forces. According to analysts, Russian recruiters are utilizing the playbook of Southeast Asian scam networks, preying on those with economic hardship and convincing them of non-military job opportunities.
Victims often have their passports confiscated and are left with heavy debts owed to their recruiters, mirroring common practices in Southeast Asian scam networks. The Ukrainian human rights group, Truth Hounds, has identified at least 44 recruits from Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Myanmar, as of January.
Many of these individuals received minimal training before being deployed to the front lines and have reported being subjected to beatings, imprisonment, and exploitation. Experts urge governments worldwide to intervene and halt the flow of unsuspecting victims into the Russian military.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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