North Korea withdraws soldiers from frontline in Ukraine

North Korean soldiers, who were sent to fight on Russia's side in the war against Ukraine, have not been seen at the front for weeks, fueling speculation that they have withdrawn after suffering heavy losses, South Korea's intelligence service said. South Korea's National Intelligence Service confirmed this week media reports that North Korean troops withdrew from the front lines in mid-January.

North Korea sent about 11 soldiers to the Russian Kursk region in late 2024, shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense agreement, aimed at strengthening the alliance against, as they said, "Western hegemony led by the US."

However, their participation in the war has brought heavy losses. South Korea's intelligence service says about 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed, while about 2700 have been wounded, writes theguardian.

In January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video of two captured North Korean soldiers, one of whom said his commanders had instructed him to go for "military training."

The North Korean soldiers, who had no prior combat experience, were reportedly unprepared for the harsh conditions of war in unfamiliar terrain, and were particularly vulnerable to Ukrainian drones. South Korea's intelligence service says notes were found on the slain soldiers suggesting the North Korean regime expected them to commit suicide rather than be captured.

The arrival of North Korean troops has sparked fears that the war could take an even more dangerous turn for Ukraine, while South Korean military officials warn that Pyongyang could send even more soldiers.

North Korea hopes to receive advanced Russian satellite technology in exchange and provide foreign currency to finance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

South Korea's intelligence service says heavy losses among North Korean soldiers are one of the main reasons for their withdrawal from Kursk, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive in August 2024.

North Korea has yet to officially acknowledge its role in the war, but in October last year, Putin avoided denying the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. /Telegraph/