DPRK troops withdrawn from Kursk region frontline after heavy losses - NYT
North Korean mercenaries who fought on the side of the Russian Federation against the Ukrainian Defence Forces in Kursk region were withdrawn from the front line after suffering heavy losses.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the NYT.
US and Ukrainian officials said that the DPRK military had not been seen at the front for about two weeks.
The publication notes that disorganisation in the ranks of the DPRK mercenaries and the lack of coordination with the Russian army quickly led to losses. The North Korean military advanced with few armoured vehicles and rarely stopped to regroup or retreat.
"Many of the soldiers are among North Korea’s best-trained special operations troops, but the Russians appear to have used them as foot soldiers, sending them forth in waves across fields studded with land mines to be mowed down by heavy Ukrainian fire," the article says.
US officials have said that the decision to withdraw North Korean troops from the front line could be temporary. It is possible, they say, that the DPRK military could return after additional training or after the Russians find new ways to use them to avoid heavy losses.
To recap, the DPRK has sent thousands of its soldiers to Russia to fight against Ukraine. The agreement on the participation of DPRK troops in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia is beneficial for Pyongyang, as it will cover the financial and food crisis in the country.
According to British intelligence, the DPRK has lost more than 4,000 troops in the Kursk region.
Estonian intelligence has said that North Korea will send a new batch of soldiers to help Russia by the summer, as several thousand North Korean troops fighting mainly in Russia's Kursk region have already been killed or wounded.
