North Korea has withdrawn its soldiers from the front line in the Russian Kursk region after suffering heavy losses, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, quoted by BTA.
Since mid-January "there have been no signs" North Korean troops may have participated in combat operations in Kursk, the agency said, citing the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS).
Earlier, both Ukrainian and American media, including the "New York Times", also reported on the withdrawal of DPRK forces.
According to the NRS, one of the reasons for the withdrawal is probably the large number of casualties among the North Korean contingent, but they added that the analysis of available intelligence information has not yet been completed.
In the middle of last month, the NRS estimated that about 300 North Korean soldiers had died in the fighting in the Kursk region and 2,700 had been wounded. Since the end of last year, the DPRK has provided Russia with about 12,000 soldiers to fight on its side against Ukraine. Since then, the NRC has been working closely with Ukrainian intelligence, DPA notes.
Against this backdrop, the Russian army continues to advance in Donbas. The Russian army captured 430 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in January this year and is advancing towards the logistics center of Pokrovsk, Agence France-Presse reported, citing its own analysis based on data provided by the American Institute for the Study of War, BTA reported.
AFP notes that this month has seen a slight slowdown compared to previous months. The agency points out that in December, Russian forces captured 476 square kilometers, and in November - a record 725 square kilometers. More than 80% of the advance of Russian forces in January was in the Donetsk region, where they are trying to capture the city of Pokrovsk. Moscow's forces are about two kilometers from this important logistical hub, which they are approaching from the south and east.
In addition, the Russian army has advanced by about 50 square kilometers on the northeastern front near the city of Kupyansk. In August last year, Ukrainian forces launched a major offensive in Russia's Kursk region, capturing nearly 1,300 square kilometers in two weeks. However, the area controlled by Kiev in the Kursk region has begun to shrink. On December 31, it was 483 square kilometers, and at the end of January - 442 square kilometers, AFP notes.