The North Korean troops have been withdrawn from the front line in Kursk Oblast. North Korean forces suffered significant losses in combat, as reported by TSN. This information comes from Kontrakty.UA.
According to The New York Times, citing officials from Ukraine and the USA.
Anonymous sources from the publication emphasize that North Korean troops sent to the war as reinforcements for the Russian army have not been observed on the front lines for about two weeks.
It is noted that in November 2024, Kim Jong Un sent approximately 11,000 of his soldiers to Russia. However, as previously stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the number of DPRK forces has halved over three months of fighting.
Ukrainian military personnel who fought against the North Koreans described them as fierce fighters. However, disorganization within their ranks and a lack of cohesion with Russian units quickly led to losses, a Ukrainian official told NYT. From the moment they arrived on the battlefield, North Korean soldiers were left to fend for themselves. Advancing with minimal armored vehicles, they rarely paused to regroup or retreat.
"Many of the soldiers are among the best-trained special operations forces of North Korea, but the Russians seem to have used them as infantry, sending them in waves across mine-strewn fields, where they were mowed down by heavy Ukrainian fire," writes the New York Times.
American officials, in communication with the publication, emphasized that the decision to withdraw North Korean troops from the front line may not be permanent. They stated that it is quite possible they could return after additional training or once the Russians find new ways to deploy them to avoid such heavy losses.
Recall that analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine advanced in Kursk Oblast. In particular, they repelled a Russian mechanized attack involving approximately one platoon and at least four armored vehicles.