The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported this.Amid heavy combat losses and gradual resource depletion, Russia’s military-political leadership is seeking ways to continue its aggressive war against Ukraine.In addition to the widespread use of mercenaries from African and Asian countries and North Korean units, the Kremlin is exploring the possibility of involving so-called partners under the guise of implementing humanitarian projects in Russian regions bordering Ukraine.According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, the latest country Russia is trying to drag into the war is Laos. Currently, the Kremlin is organizing the deployment of a combined engineering detachment from the Lao People’s Army to clear mines in the Kursk region."Given its significant dependence on external aid, Laos’ leadership initially expresses readiness to send up to 50 ‘combat engineer servicemen’ to Russia to assist with mine clearance in Kursk region. In addition, Laos provides free assistance to Russia by conducting rehabilitation activities for wounded servicemen who participated in hostilities against Ukraine," the intelligence report stated.The intelligence emphasized that, under the guise of humanitarian rhetoric, Russia is attempting to legitimize the presence of a foreign military contingent on its territory, effectively using it to support combat operations against Ukraine.Earlier, the Ukrainian Defence Intelligence reported that citizens of Central Asian countries, in particular Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, are increasingly becoming targets of forced mobilization by Russian security forces.