North Korean Troops in Russia: Withdrawal Amid Heavy Losses?

Reports indicate that North Korean soldiers previously engaged alongside Russian forces on the Kursk front line have not participated in combat since mid-January, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. This development follows claims from Ukraine that these troops were withdrawn after sustaining heavy casualties.

The South Korean agency noted, “Since mid-January, it appears that the North Korean troops deployed to the Kursk region of Russia have not engaged in combat.” The agency suggested that significant losses may be a contributing factor, although further details are still under investigation.

Ukraine’s military recently asserted that the North Korean soldiers stationed at the front line in Kursk had indeed been “withdrawn” following their losses. Intelligence from Western, South Korean, and Ukrainian sources estimates that over 10,000 North Korean troops were deployed to support Russia’s military operations in the Kursk region, especially after Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive in August.

While neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has officially acknowledged the troop deployment, the two nations formalized their military cooperation last year during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea. This collaboration was intended to bolster Russian forces amid Ukraine’s ongoing resistance, which has seen Kyiv regaining control over significant territories.

Ukrainian forces have reported capturing or killing several North Korean soldiers during the conflict. President Volodymyr Zelensky even released footage of interrogations with North Korean prisoners taken during the fighting. Disturbingly, Ukrainian officials have claimed that some wounded North Korean troops chose to detonate grenades rather than be captured.

The deployment of North Korean soldiers has been denounced by Kyiv and Western nations as a troubling escalation in the ongoing conflict. In light of the reported losses, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated in December that North Korea is preparing for further troop rotations or additional deployments to assist Russia.

The ties between Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a recent New Year’s message, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised Putin while alluding to the conflict, stating that 2025 would be the year when “the Russian army and people defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory.”