Espreso. Global

North Korean troops no longer fighting in Russia’s Kursk region — South Korean intel

4 February, 2025 Tuesday
11:15

Since mid-January, North Korean troops have likely not participated in battles on the Russian Kursk front

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South Korean intelligence reported this, according to Yonhap.

The National Intelligence Service confirmed a report by the New York Times stating that North Korean soldiers were withdrawn from the front line in mid-January due to significant losses.

“Since mid-January, there have been no signs showing North Korean troops deployed to the Russian Kursk region engaging in battle,” the intelligence agency stated.

According to estimates, North Korea has sent about 11,000 troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. Intelligence believes that 300 of them have been killed, while approximately 2,700 have been wounded.

  • On January 27, Sky News, citing Ukrainian military sources, reported that about two weeks earlier, North Korean troops had temporarily withdrawn from the front line in Russia’s Kursk region. However, they are expected to “return soon.”
  • Later, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, Andrii Kovalenko, stated that North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia had not learned how to counter Ukrainian drones and artillery and were currently undergoing “error correction” sessions with their officers.
  • On January 31, the New York Times reported that North Korean troops fighting alongside the Russian army in the Kursk region were withdrawn from the front line due to heavy losses.
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