North Korean soldiers, sent according to kyiv, Washington and Seoul to help Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine, seem to have withdrawn from one of the axes of the front in the Koursk Oblast in Russia, according to several international media. THE New York Timeswhich quotes American and Ukrainian officials, says that the troops dispatched by North Korea “have not been seen on the front for about two weeks”. Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, spokesperson for the special operations forces, confirmed on Monday at Kyiv independent that they seemed to have temporarily withdrew.
If neither Moscow nor Pyongyang recognized only North Korean troops had been deployed to fight the Ukrainian forces, two North Korean soldiers were taken prisoner by Ukraine on January 11. In total, 10,000 soldiers were reportedly sent by North Korea and deployed last fall in the Koursk Oblast, Russia, to help Vladimir Putin’s army to counter the Ukrainian foray into August 2024 in The aim of weighing in possible peace negotiations.
Lack of preparation
But the losses suffered by the contingent and the disorganization towards the Russian forces would have led to their withdrawal from the front. “Estimates indicate that the number of victims in the ranks of the North Korean forces exceeded 3,000, including around 300 dead and 2,700 injured,” the South Korean deputy Lee Seong-Kweun explained on January 13 to journalists, After a briefing of the South Korean intelligence service (NIS). According to Ukrainian officials cited by the New York Timesthe North Korean soldiers were delivered to themselves and sent on foot with few vehicles.
“The soldiers of North Korea in the Koursk region have not learned to resist our drones and our artillery, have suffered significant losses and are now working with Russian commanders and their own officers to ‘work on their errors “, said on Telegram the head of the Center for the Fighting the Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Andreï Kovalenko.
A temporary withdrawal before sending new troops?
This withdrawal of the troops could however be only temporary. “It is too early to say that they will not continue to participate actively in the war. They will continue to be actively involved,” added Andreï Kovalenko. According to the New York Timeswhich is based on American officials, “it is possible that the North Koreans return after receiving additional training or when the Russians have found new ways to deploy them to avoid such heavy losses”.
On the chain Newsa Ukrainian commander interviewed under the cover of anonymity has issued several hypotheses: “Either they analyze their mistakes, or they take care of their injuries, or they expect reinforcements. We say that Kim Jong-un sends more North Koreans here”. According to the Independent Kyivthe South Korean intelligence services announced at the end of January that Pyongyang planned to send additional troops to Russia to participate in the war.