North Korean troops deployed to support Russia’s war against Ukraine appear to have been absent from combat in the front-line Kursk region since mid-January, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
This was reported by Yonhap, according to Ukrinform.
“Since mid-January, there have been no signs showing North Korean troops deployed to the Russian Kursk region engaging in battle,” the NIS said.
South Korean intelligence said that heavy casualties appear to be one reason for the absence of North Korean troops, adding that efforts are underway to determine the exact reason.
NIS adds that measures are currently being taken to determine the exact reason for the absence of North Korean troops on the battlefield.
North Korea is estimated to have sent some 11,000 troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. Of those, 300 are believed to have been killed, with some 2,700 others wounded, South Korea’s spy agency said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated earlier that out of three North Korean brigades operating in the Kursk region, one was destroyed and two others suffered heavy losses.
Source: N. Korean troops absent from combat in Kursk region since mid-January – S. Korean intelligence
