North Korean troops struggle amid heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region

Recently, North Korean troops deployed alongside Russian forces near the Ukrainian border have faced considerable losses in the Kursk region of Russia. Approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to support the ongoing conflict against Ukraine, with reports indicating a staggering casualty rate—around one-third have been wounded or killed. As a response to these high casualty figures, North Korean military commanders have initiated a temporary withdrawal of their troops from frontline engagements, with a specific focus on retraining and improving tactics amidst ongoing warfare. Ukrainian special forces personnel, tasked with operations related to DNA retrieval from North Korean soldiers, have confirmed that these troops have retreated from one of their operational axes in the Kursk region. They had been mobilized there since December of the previous year, engaging in direct combat against Ukrainian forces. This retreat, which is believed to last for roughly two weeks, suggests significant operational assessment and adjustment in strategy by North Korean military leadership, as they seek to mitigate further losses and enhance the effectiveness of their soldiers in the ongoing conflict. According to Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, the North Korean troops were poorly adapted to counter aerial threats, leading to their vulnerability in combat. They conducted assaults in grouped formations, reminiscent of World War II tactics, which rendered them easy targets for Ukrainian drones and artillery. As a result of this ineffectiveness, intelligence reports indicated that these soldiers had not sufficiently learned to evade drone attacks, exacerbating their situation. Furthermore, the need for 'error correction' training has been emphasized by officials in Ukraine. Andriy Kovalenko, head of Kyiv's Centre for Countering Disinformation, stated that the retraining looks to address significant operational deficiencies encountered by the North Korean military in Kursk. Although there are indications that the North Koreans may continue to play an active role in the ongoing war, the process of adapting their tactics to better respond to threats highlighted by the Ukrainian forces remains crucial. The ongoing conflict thus showcases the challenges faced by North Korean troops, not only in terms of loss of personnel but also in grappling with the evolving nature of modern warfare on foreign soil.