North Korean troops stationed alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region have reportedly been pulled out due to heavy losses, Ukraine has claimed. According to Oleksandr Kindratenko, a Ukrainian spokesperson for Special Operations Forces, no activity or fighting from North Koreans had recently been reported in the region, AFP said Friday.
Intelligence agencies in the West, South Korea, and Ukraine have long reported that Pyongyang had dispatched over 10,000 soldiers to support Russia’s military. Deployment was seen to be reinforcing Russian forces following a surprise cross-border offensive by Ukraine in August that saw Kyiv capture several settlements in Kursk, the first time since World War II that a foreign army had crossed into Russian territory.
Despite the official denials made by Moscow and Pyongyang of any North Korean troop presence, earlier this month Kiev reported having eliminated or captured some of them, with President Volodymyr Zelensky releasing tapes of alleged war prisoner interrogations. The wounding of alleged North Korean invaders allegedly resulted in several cases in which wounded combatants blew grenades rather than give up.
In reply to the withdrawal reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment, adding that there are “many different arguments out there, both right and wrong.”
While Ukraine has retained control of some areas in the Kursk region, Russia has gained ground elsewhere. Moscow’s forces said on Friday that they captured the village of Novovasylivka in eastern Ukraine, near the critical logistics hub of Pokrovsk. The capture could provide Russia with a strategic advantage in securing key supply routes.
Despite Ukraine’s gains in Kursk, the broader warfront remains highly active, with both sides continuing their offensives.
