North Korean troops have reportedly left the front lines in Ukraine, as per officials

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

For months now, thousands of North Korean soldiers have been storming trenches, dodging artillery fire, fighting alongside Russian troops trying to dislodge Ukrainian forces from Russian territory.
When they first appeared last fall, the North Korean deployment worried Western officials, who feared they would pummel Ukrainian troops, already-beleaguered elsewhere the 1,100-kilometer front line, and force a retreat.
And now, North Korean troops are reportedly being pulled back from the front lines.
If a North Korean withdrawal, or even a major retreat, is confirmed, it would be a potentially embarrassing setback for Russian commanders — not to mention a blow to the notion that the North Korean troops would be able to make a decisive battlefield difference.
North Korean soldiers deployed in October; Ukrainian officials reported first clashes with them in early November.

NEGATIVE

In an effort to drive Ukrainian forces out of Russian territory, thousands of North Korean soldiers have been battling alongside Russian troops for months, evading artillery fire and storming trenches.

Western officials were alarmed by the North Korean deployment when it first surfaced last fall, fearing that they would attack Ukrainian troops, who were already under siege elsewhere along the 1,100-kilometer front line, and force them to retreat.

That never took place. Furthermore, it is said that North Korean forces are currently being withdrawn from the front lines. A January 31 New York Times report suggests that the high number of casualties is the cause.

Ukrainian officials’ reactions to the Times report were mixed. One military intelligence official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Current Time that North Korean troops had been rotated out because of “significant losses,” but described their movement as “normal operations.”. “.”.

However, North Korean troops had not been seen in areas where special forces were engaged in combat for about three weeks, according to Ukraine’s special operation command, which told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service: “They were probably forced to retreat after suffering heavy losses.”. “.”.

A confirmed North Korean withdrawal, or even a significant retreat, would be a potentially humiliating blow to Russian commanders and would also undermine the idea that North Korean forces could make a significant difference on the battlefield.

We currently know the following.

From Kursk to Pyongyang.

In mid-October, North Korean troops began to show up in Russian areas that bordered Ukraine, following weeks of Ukrainian warnings supported by satellite imagery and other open-source intelligence. Officials stated at the time that there were over 11,000 in total.

The reason why Russian officials had resorted to Pyongyang for assistance was unclear at the time, but some analysts hypothesized that President Vladimir Putin was attempting to avoid a new mobilization or the deployment of conscripts into combat, as these actions would provoke internal Russian opposition.

According to Western officials, it was an indication of desperation. Over 700,000 Russians have been killed or injured since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, according to Western estimates.

“This suggests that he might be in even more trouble than most people think,” said U at the time. S. In reference to Putin, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated in October. “He used tin-cupping early on to obtain more materials and weapons from” North Korea.

They would wind up in Kursk, a border region where Ukraine had unexpectedly invaded Russia two months earlier, according to Ukrainian officials.

In fact, Ukrainian units have taken some prisoners and reported numerous encounters with North Koreans.

Have they had an impact on the battlefield?

When Ukraine crossed the border in August 2024, its forces, some of which were Kyiv’s most seasoned, combat-ready units, swiftly took control of a substantial portion of Kursk, encompassing an area of roughly 1,300 square kilometers at its largest.

The largest foreign military invasion of Russian territory since World War II took place.

In the beginning, Russia’s defense was chaotic and ill-prepared, which shocked and infuriated many, especially the locals. In order to gradually drive Ukrainian troops back, commanders redeployed units. In early November, Ukrainian officials reported the first encounters with North Korean troops, who had been deployed in October.

The combined forces of North Korea and Russia have so far recaptured slightly over half of the area that Ukrainian forces had taken in Kursk.

Ukrainian commanders ordered a fresh offensive in the Kursk region a few days after the new year in an attempt to reverse North Korean gains.

Again, it was unclear why, but some experts speculated that it might have been to gain territory and gain a foothold before potential peace talks that the U.S. A. This is what President Donald Trump is advocating.

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