DPRK soldiers withdrawn from Kursk region, but may return: Russians likely to find new ways to deploy them - NYT

DPRK soldiers withdrawn from Kursk region, but may return: Russians likely to find new ways to deploy them - NYT

Kyiv  •  UNN

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DPRK troops were withdrawn from the front line after heavy losses and disorganization. Their numbers have been halved in three months, but the United States allows for the possibility of their return after additional training.

In three months, the number of North Koreans on the frontline of the Russian-Ukrainian war has decreased - for several weeks, mercenaries from the DPRK have not been seen on the front. U.S. officials suggest that the DPRK military needs additional training and may be returned to the front line in some time.

Transmits UNN with reference to The New York Times.

Details

North Korean soldiers who joined the Russian armed forces in the battle against Ukrainian troops have been withdrawn from the front line after suffering heavy casualties, the NYT reports, citing Ukrainian and American officials.

North Korean troops have not been seen on the front for about two weeks, officials said on condition of anonymity.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the number of North Koreans at the front has been halved in three months. Although earlier, the arrival of about 11,000 North Korean troops in Russia in November 2024 caused some concern in Ukraine, particularly among Ukraine's allies in the West.

At the moment, we are talking about disorganization in the ranks of the DPRK military and their lack of cohesion with Russian units, which also led to losses.

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From the moment they arrived on the battlefield, North Korean soldiers were left to their own devices, advancing with few armored vehicles and rarely stopping to regroup or retreat, according to Ukrainian officials and troops on the front lines.

U.S. officials conclude that the decision to withdraw North Korean troops from the front line is unlikely to be permanent. 

It is quite possible that the North Koreans may return after additional training or after the Russians find new ways to deploy them to avoid such heavy losses.

- US representatives say.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have launched a new offensive in the Kursk region of Russia, The New York Times reports. Last year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to occupy more than 800 km of Russian territory, and later Russian troops managed to retake part of this area.

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