North Korean troops have not been seen for roughly three weeks in the areas of Kursk Oblast where Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SOF) are fighting, the unit's spokesperson, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 31.
The comment comes as undisclosed Ukrainian and U.S. officials told The New York Times that North Korean troops had been taken off the front lines after suffering heavy casualties.
"These are standard measures – rotation due to large casualties," a military intelligence source commented for the Kyiv Independent, confirming the reports.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 19 that roughly half of the 11-12,000 strong North Korean contingent deployed to the embattled Russian region have been killed or wounded.
Experts interviewed by the Kyiv Independent connected North Korea’s high casualty rates to a lack of experience with modern warfare, the "human wave" tactics employed against entrenched Ukrainian positions, and the resolve of North Korean troops to avoid capture, even at the cost of their own lives.
North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces in countering a Ukrainian incursion launched in early August 2024. Ukrainian forces have continued fighting in the region, hoping to leverage their positions for potential negotiations.
Syrskyi nevertheless acknowledged that North Korean troops are well-trained and motivated fighters who present significant challenges to Ukrainian soldiers.
Previous comments by Ukrainian officials suggest that North Korean troops may have been taken off the front lines only temporarily. The military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said he expects Pyongyang to dispatch additional reinforcements to Russia, namely artillery units.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
