Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said media reports that those troops have not been seen on the front lines there in weeks are “wrong.” There are still about 8,000 North Koreans battling Ukraine on the front lines in Kursk,

The spokesman did not say how long that front line was. And while this is not the full picture, it does suggest significant North Korean casualties. Separately, the New York Times also reported that the North Koreans had been pulled off the front lines.

North Korean troops seem to temporarily withdraw from one section of front in Kursk Oblast, military says Russia claims to capture Velyka Novosilka, Ukraine admits partial retreat but says battles ongoing Russia intensifies attacks near Pokrovsk,

North Korea sent its best troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. But after months of suffering severe losses, they have been taken off the front line.

Unfamiliar terrain, outdated equipment and poor tactics have likely felled thousands of soldiers, but more may return with better training

The soldiers appear to have been pulled back from the front lines in Kursk after suffering heavy casualties during barely a month of combat, Ukrainian officials said.

North Korean troops deployed to support Russian forces in Ukraine's Kursk region have been withdrawn after suffering heavy casualties, say Ukrainian officials. Over 10,000 soldiers were sent by Pyongyang,