The number of North Korean nationals seeking asylum in Russia picked up in 2024 but plummeted in the first half of this year, official data shows, with experts expressing skepticism that DPRK soldiers can receive protection amid the two countries’ flourishing cooperation over the war in Ukraine.

A total of 11 DPRK nationals sought asylum in Russia between Jan. 2024 and this June, up from just eight in 2023, according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ (MVD) data.