‘Not what I expected’: Russian soldiers sent to North Korea for medical care

The city of Wonsan, in North Korea, is allegedly playing host to Russia’s fatigued and wounded away from the front line in Ukraine. Photograph: Wong Maye-E/AP

After two years fighting for Russia on the frontlines in Ukraine, Aleksei returned to his home town of Vladivostok last summer to recover from a shrapnel wound to his leg.

Looking to speed up his recovery and take a break from the city, he asked his military unit in Russia’s far east to see if he could secure a state-sponsored stay at a sanatorium – a health resort offering a mix of medical treatment and rest.