Ukraine Captures North Korean Soldiers, Believes They Have Been Withdrawn
Ukraine believes that North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russia’s army on the Kursk frontline have been "withdrawn" after suffering heavy losses, a military spokesman told AFP today.
Background
Western, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence agencies say Pyongyang deployed more than 10,000 troops to support Russia’s forces fighting in its western Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a shock cross-border offensive in August. Kyiv captured dozens of border settlements in the operation – the first time a foreign army had crossed into Russian territory since the World War II – in an embarrassing setback for the Kremlin.
Withdrawal
The North Korean deployment – never officially confirmed by Moscow or Pyongyang – was supposed to reinforce Russia’s army and help them expel Ukraine’s troops. However, nearly six months on, Ukraine still holds on to swathes of Russian territory, something President Volodymyr Zelensky sees as a key bargaining chip in any future negotiations with Moscow.
"We believe that they have been withdrawn because of the heavy losses that were inflicted," said Oleksandr Kindratenko, spokesman for the special operations forces. Ukraine previously said it had captured or killed several North Korean soldiers deployed to the Kursk region. Zelensky has published footage of interrogations with what he said were North Korean prisoners of war captured by his army on the Kursk front. Ukrainian officials have said that wounded North Korean troops were blowing themselves up with grenades rather than being taken alive.
Kremlin Refuses to Comment
Asked earlier today about reports the North Korean soldiers had been withdrawn, the Kremlin declined to comment. "There are a lot of different arguments out there, both right and wrong," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "It’s not worth commenting on every time," he added.
Conflict Escalation
Kyiv and the west had decried their deployment as a major escalation in the three-year conflict. Ukraine says around 2,000 Russian civilians live in areas under its occupation, mostly cut off from contact with relatives on the other side of the new frontline. Discontent has been growing in the Russian border region at the failure of the local authorities to secure their return to Moscow-controlled territory or provide updates on their status.
Russian Advances
Despite Ukraine’s hold on part of the Kursk region, Russia has been advancing elsewhere across the 1,000km front. Moscow’s army today said it had captured another village, Novovasylivka, in eastern Ukraine, where its forces are advancing on a key logistics hub and a road that is crucial for military supplies. Novovasylivka is close to the key hub of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, and to the internal border with Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, which so far has been spared ground combat. Russia in 2022 said it was annexing the Donetsk region – despite not having it under full – but has not publicly made territorial claims on Dnipropetrovsk.
Conclusion
The withdrawal of North Korean soldiers from the Kursk frontline marks a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The exact circumstances of their withdrawal remain unclear, but it is likely that the heavy losses they suffered at the hands of Ukrainian forces played a significant role. The conflict continues to escalate, with both sides suffering significant losses and the international community watching with growing concern.
FAQs
- What is the current situation on the Kursk frontline?
- Ukraine believes that North Korean soldiers have been withdrawn after suffering heavy losses.
- How many North Korean soldiers were deployed to the Kursk region?
- Western, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence agencies estimate that more than 10,000 troops were deployed.
- What is the current situation for Russian civilians living in areas under Ukrainian occupation?
- Ukraine says around 2,000 Russian civilians live in areas under its occupation, mostly cut off from contact with relatives on the other side of the new frontline.