01/27/2025
North Korean troops temporarily withdrew from the front line in Kursk after suffering heavy losses. The DPRK soldiers were initially unaware of the threat from UAVs and artillery, and also refused to surrender alive.
This is reported by the British TV channel Sky News, whose journalists spoke with Ukrainian defenders on the front line. In particular, the commander of one of the special forces units “Pulse” said that North Korean troops apparently temporarily withdrew from the front line to the Russian Federation, having suffered heavy losses.
According to the military, Kim Jong-un’s men are probably either learning from the mistakes made during their first bloody clashes with the Ukrainian Defense Forces, or providing assistance to the wounded, or waiting for reinforcements.
“I think they’ll be back soon,” Pulse said from a secret base in northeastern Ukraine.
According to Sky News, interviews with several Ukrainian military personnel “reveal interesting details” about how the North Koreans have fought since arriving on the battlefield in Kurshchyna in December.
In particular, there is a clear lack of awareness of the threat posed by drones and artillery. North Korean soldiers attack on foot, “like in World War II,” in groups of 20, 40 or even 60, making them easy targets.
And the “brainwashing” in their ranks forces them to move forward, under Ukrainian fire, while their comrades are being killed and wounded all around.
Ukrainian defenders also spoke about the North Koreans’ desire to get rid of evidence of their presence in the combat zone, as North Korean soldiers in white helmets were seen trying to save the wounded and dead.
At the same time, North Korean soldiers refuse to be taken prisoner alive. According to soldiers of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, there were cases when North Koreans blew themselves up with grenades to avoid being captured. “Pulse” says that he even heard one of them shout: “For General Kim Jong-un” before committing suicide.
Ukrainian military officials also note poor coordination between North Korean and Russian troops due to the language barrier . According to one of the Ukrainian military officials, radio intercepts showed that the North Koreans accidentally targeted Russian positions. He also said that they would storm Ukrainian positions, suffering losses, but Russian troops would not be able to use the successes achieved.
The DPRK army has better equipment than many Russians, including rifles and uniforms, but the North Koreans do not have heavy armor, as they move only on foot and use golf carts to transport ammunition.
“They were all clean-shaven and perfectly groomed, like models. All of them had no beards, no uncombed hair, no bald heads… It was also difficult to determine their age. They all looked between 25 and 35, maybe 40,” Pulse told.
As OBOZ.UA reported, British intelligence has stated that North Korean troops have failed to achieve significant results in Kursk. They have lost more than a third of their approximately 11,000 personnel and are also having difficulty integrating into the Russian command and control structure.
I’m not sure that withdraw is the correct word here. Were there any norks left to withdraw after they met up with the Ukrainians? From the video evidence seen, the norks have been decimated.
Either way you want to look at it, they’re gone for now.