NYT: North Korean troops on Russia’s side pull back from Kursk region after heavy losses

North Korean soldiers fighting with Russians in the invaded region of Kursk that neighbors Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts have reportedly pulled back from the front line due to significant losses, The New York Times reported, citing Ukrainian and U.S. officials.  

The article, published on Jan. 30, said North Korean troops haven’t been seen for weeks. 

According to the report, Russian forces abandoned the North Korean soldiers shortly after their arrival in the Kursk region to support Kremlin troops who are trying to recapture lost territory after Ukraine made a surprise incursion in August.

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have confirmed or acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops in the theater of warfare of the Russo-Ukrainian war, despite video footage of captured soldiers who have been questioned by Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence. 

However, the decision to withdraw the North Korean military may not be final. U.S. officials say it is entirely possible that these troops will return to the battlefield.  

“The North Koreans could return after receiving additional training or after the Russians come up with new ways of deploying them to avoid such heavy casualties,” the report states.  

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirmed the absence of North Korean troops in the Kursk region, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing Col. Oleksandr Kindratenkoo, a spokesperson for the Special Operations Forces.  

“The Special Operations Forces provide information only about the front where our units are active. Therefore, we confirm that there has been no presence of North Korean troops in the region for around three weeks. It is likely that they were forced to withdraw after suffering significant losses,” Kindratenko said.  

An estimated 11,000 North Korean troops arrived in Russia in November 2024.  

“[It] caused alarm in Ukraine and among its allies in the West, who feared their deployment signaled a significant escalation in the nearly three-year-old war,” The New York Times wrote.  

However, the number of North Korean soldiers has halved over the past three months, according to Armed Forces of Ukraine Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi.