Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirm withdrawal of North Korean troops from Kursk Oblast
Pravda Ukraine
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) confirmed that North Korean troops have been absent from Russia’s Kursk Oblast for around three weeks.
Source: Oleksandr Kindratenko, the spokesperson for the Special Operations Forces, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda
Quote: “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.”
Background:
- The New York Times, citing Ukrainian and US officials, wrote that North Korean troops fighting on the side of Russia against Ukraine were withdrawn from the front line in Russiaʼs Kursk Oblast after suffering heavy losses.
- The publication, citing US officials, reports that the decision to withdraw North Korean troops from the front line may not be permanent. They suggest that the North Koreans could be redeployed after additional training or once the Russians develop new strategies to deploy them, aiming to prevent further heavy losses.
- In November 2024, 11,000 military personnel from North Korea arrived in Russia. Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, says their number has been reduced by half in three months.
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