Intelligence leaks and concerns over being captured could be behind the no-show for North Korean troops in recent weeks at the front lines of Russia’s war with Ukraine.
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Observers say, however, that as long as Pyongyang can gain from the conflict in terms of material support, it will continue to provide military aid to Moscow.
Citing South Korea’s intelligence agency, the Yonhap news outlet reported on Tuesday that North Korean troops had not been fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast since mid-January.
“One reason for this may be the occurrence of many casualties, but the exact details are still being monitored,” the National Intelligence Service said in a statement.
Last Friday, a Ukrainian military official said North Korean troops had not been seen on the front lines in Kursk for several weeks, adding that they were “probably forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses”.
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Nah Liang Tuang, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said one reason for the troop withdrawal might be due to last month’s capture of two North Korean soldiers sent to fight in Kursk.