North Korean troops appear to have temporarily withdrawn from the front line in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation after suffering heavy losses.
This was reported by Sky News, citing the words of Ukrainian military personnel participating in the operation.
The commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the call sign "Pulse," says that Kim Jong-unʼs men are either analyzing mistakes on the battlefield, treating the wounded, or waiting for reinforcements. He suggested that the North Korean military "will return soon."
Ukrainian fighters described in more detail how North Korean soldiers fight in the Russian region. For example, they are not informed about threats from UAVs and artillery. Ukrainian military personnel say that the North Korean army attacked on foot, "like during World War II," in groups of 20-60 people, which made them easy targets.
They moved forward, even though they were under fire, and their comrades were dying and wounded all around them. The North Korean soldiers were clearing away evidence of their presence. They were trying to pick up the wounded and dead in the White Helmets.
Some foreign soldiers blew themselves up with grenades to avoid capture. Pulse claims that one of them shouted, “For General Kim Jong-un!” before committing suicide.
North Korean and Russian forces are poorly coordinated due to the language barrier. For example, radio intercepts showed that the North Koreans accidentally targeted Russian positions.
The North Korean army is better equipped than many Russians: they have rifles and uniforms. However, North Korean fighters lack heavy armor, as they move only on foot and use golf carts to transport ammunition.
The Ukrainian commander says that the soldiers were "clean-shaven and well-groomed," and their age is difficult to determine: all were approximately 25 to 35-40 years old.
Participation of the DPRK military in the war in Ukraine
Ukrainian intelligence reported on October 24, 2024, that the first soldiers from the DPRK had already arrived at the front — in the Kursk region. There are approximately 12,000 soldiers, including 500 officers and three generals.
According to sources in the American newspaper The New York Times, Russia has assembled a group of 50,000 soldiers for an offensive in the Kursk region. The North Koreans are being trained in artillery strikes, basic infantry tactics and, most importantly, trench clearing, American officials say. This means that at least some of the North Korean soldiers will be used in frontal attacks on Ukrainian positions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 3,000 soldiers from the DPRK have already been killed or wounded. South Korean intelligence believes that 300 soldiers have been killed in the war and about 2,700 have been wounded.
Zelensky first reported on December 27, 2024, that the Defense Forces had captured North Korean soldiers, but then they died of wounds. The North Korean soldiers were captured for the second time in January. Ukraine is ready to exchange them for its own soldiers.
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