North Korean (DPRK) soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine in Kursk have disappeared from the front line after suffering severe casualties, The New York Times (NYT) reports, citing Ukrainian and US officials.
Deployed in November to bolster Russia’s efforts to recover territory within its own borders, the numbers of the original 11,000 North Korean troops have been almost halved in just three months, according to Ukraine’s top commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky. He acknowledged their discipline but said they often advance in human waves through minefields without proper armored support.
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Since their arrival on the battlefield, DPRK soldiers have been largely left to fend for themselves, advancing with minimal armored support and rarely stopping to regroup or retreat, the NYT claims, citing Ukrainian officials and frontline troops.
These assessments align with previous statements from Ukrainian officials and frontline troops.
Earlier this week, a Ukrainian commander with the call sign “Puls,” who leads the 1st Combat Divers Battalion of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO), told Sky News that North Korean troops began pulling back from the front lines about two weeks ago.
However, he said he believes the withdrawal is only temporary. “They’re still present, training or waiting for reinforcements. Something is happening – they’ll be back soon,” he said, citing intercepted Russian communications.
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Andrey Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, confirmed that DPRK troops have struggled against Ukrainian drones and artillery, suffering heavy losses. He said that North Korean soldiers are now working with Russian commanders and their own officers to address their shortcomings.
“It is too early to say they won’t continue participating actively in the war. They are still planned to be involved,” Kovalenko said.
Criticism has mounted over Ukraine’s push into Russia’s Kursk region, with some calling it a drain on resources. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky insists that holding the territory strengthens Ukraine’s position in future peace talks. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin faces growing embarrassment as Ukrainian forces remain inside Russia despite his vows to expel them, the NYT reported.
“Into that fray stepped Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader. It was Kim who proposed sending troops to assist the Russians in Kursk, according to US intelligence agencies, though Putin quickly embraced the idea,” the report read.
According to Sky News, neither Kim Jong Un nor Vladimir Putin has officially acknowledged the deployment of North Korean troops to the war in Ukraine.
However, SSO commandos recently carried out a mission to collect DNA samples and documents from around 25 DPRK soldiers killed during a drone and artillery strike in Kursk. The troops carefully extracted DNA, bagged clumps of hair, and retrieved documents, including military ID cards, handwritten notes, and photographs.
The identity documents were Russian, seemingly in an attempt to obscure the soldiers’ North Korean origins.
Kovalenko also pointed out a growing concern for Pyongyang: “A big problem for Kim is that North Koreans were captured, and in addition, there is clear evidence documenting the bodies of dead Koreans.”
According to him, Russia was initially supposed to keep DPRK troop involvement secret but has failed to do so.
Nevertheless, US officials cited by the NYT believe the withdrawal of North Korean troops from the front line is unlikely to be permanent. They suggest they could return after further training or if Russian commanders find new ways to deploy them while reducing casualties.
on Jan. 31, the Kremlin declined to comment on reports that North Korean soldiers had been pulled back from the front line.
Asked on Friday about the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There are a lot of different arguments out there, both right and wrong... It’s not worth commenting on every time.”
Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region last August stunned the Kremlin. It marked the first time in a decade of conflict—including Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022—that Ukrainian troops had taken and held Russian land.
In a recent speech, Zelensky praised the Ukrainian forces in Kursk, crediting them with creating “a buffer zone” to shield northeastern Ukraine from further Russian attacks.
For the North Korean leader, aiding Russia in Kursk likely serves his interests. US officials believe he expects Putin to return the favor by assisting North Korea’s missile programs and offering diplomatic backing at the United Nations, the NYT report adds.
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