The unexpected country offering military aid to Russia

Ukraine has raised the alarm over the possible involvement of a new country in Russia’s military network amid the ongoing war: Laos. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Moscow is organizing the deployment of Laotian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region — which borders Ukraine — under the pretext of humanitarian demining and assistance operations.

A statement from Kyiv claims that Laos is already cooperating with the Kremlin by providing rehabilitation programs for Russian soldiers wounded during the invasion of Ukraine. Now, the Putin government is reportedly pushing for the direct involvement of troops from the Lao People’s Army in on-the-ground technical tasks — which, according to Ukrainian intelligence, amounts to covert military involvement.

Humanitarian demining or hidden military presence?

Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of turning to countries that rely on its economic or military support to extend its operational capacity without depleting its own resources. In this case, Vientiane has reportedly expressed an initial willingness to send up to 50 sappers — specialists in explosives disposal — to Russia’s Kursk Oblast. While Moscow presents this move as a humanitarian initiative, Kyiv sees it as a tactic to legitimize the presence of foreign forces that are, in practice, contributing to Russia’s war effort.

“Faced with heavy combat losses and the gradual exhaustion of its resources, Russia’s political and military leadership is seeking ways to sustain its aggression,” the intelligence report states. It adds: “By using humanitarian rhetoric, Russia is trying to legalize the presence of foreign military contingents on its territory, in reality using them to conduct military operations against Ukraine.”

This kind of covert international support is not isolated. Kyiv points out that mercenaries from African and Asian countries are already known to be taking part in the conflict, along with troops sent from North Korea. According to Ukrainian intelligence, all of this is part of a broader Russian strategy: to exploit the economic or military dependence of certain states in order to drag them into the conflict under the guise of technical aid, medical assistance, or reconstruction work.

So far, there has been no official confirmation from the Laotian government. However, Ukrainian authorities continue to warn of the risk that more countries may become involved in the war through opaque bilateral agreements or so-called humanitarian missions that mask military objectives.

A more internationalized warfront

The Kursk region — along the Russian border and the site of the proposed Laotian sapper deployment — has experienced rising tensions and repeated attacks since the war began in February 2022. The presence of foreign personnel, even in technical roles, could signal a shift in the conflict’s dynamics, further internationalizing the Russian front.

The war in Ukraine is being fought not only on the battlefield but also in the realm of diplomacy and covert alliances. And according to Kyiv, Laos may be the Kremlin’s next pawn in its strategic game.

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