Soldiers sent by Pyongyang to Russia’s Kursk region have halted combat after suffering major casualties, South Korea’s security services say.
North Korean troops sent to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been pulled off the front lines after suffering major casualties, according to reports.
The roughly 10,000 soldiers that Pyongyang is believed to have sent to fight alongside Russian forces have been absent from the front line for several weeks, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday. The report supports claims from Ukraine and US media on the withdrawal of the troops, whose arrival raised fears that the war in Ukraine could escalate.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told AFP news agency that the North Korean units have halted combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region “since mid-January.”.
“One reason for this may be the occurrence of many casualties, but the exact details are still being monitored,” said the spy agency.
A Ukrainian military analysis said on Friday that it believed the North Korean soldiers had been pulled back after suffering heavy losses
