According to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, Russia is actively working to involve Laos and other allied nations in its war against Ukraine, following North Korea’s deployment of up to 12,000 troops to Russia’s western border. As part of this effort, the Kremlin is reportedly preparing to send around 50 Lao People’s Armed Forces (LPAF) combat engineers to Russia’s Kursk region, under the pretense of a “humanitarian mission” in support of Russian forces. Ukrainian intelligence also notes that Laos is providing free rehabilitation services for Russian soldiers wounded during operations in Ukraine.