[North Korean Troops Reportedly Withdraw from Russian Frontlines Amid Heavy Losses
A Ukrainian military official has stated that North Korean troops have not been seen on the frontlines in Russia’s Kursk region for several weeks, following reports of mass casualties among Pyongyang’s forces. The official, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military’s Special Operations Forces, said that the presence of DPRK troops has not been observed for about three weeks, and they were probably forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses.
According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, some North Korean units have been pulled back from the frontlines after significant losses. Approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia, with around 4,000 of those troops having been killed or injured, according to Ukrainian officials and Western intelligence reports.
North Korean troops have been deployed to Kursk since at least November to repel Ukraine’s incursion in the southern Russian border region. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated last week that there were 60,000 Russian troops in Kursk and 12,000 North Koreans, with one-third of the North Korean troops having been killed.
Ukrainian forces have reportedly been using drones to great effect against the North Korean troops, with a commander from the 6th Special Operations Forces regiment stating that the North Koreans are “all young, trained, hardy fighters” but are not prepared for the realities of modern warfare. Another battalion serviceman reported that the North Koreans had shown good marksmanship when shooting down drones from about a 100-meter distance.
Despite their heavy losses, Russia appears to be using the North Korean troops as foot soldiers, deploying them in mass ground assaults. Ukraine has recently made advancements in Kursk, according to a battlefield update from the Institute for the Study of War.
Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. However, in a landmark defense pact signed last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance in the event the other is attacked.
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