Seoul, 4 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - North Korea has withdrawn its soldiers from the front line in Russia's Kursk region after suffering heavy losses, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.

There have been "no signs" of North Korean troops engaging in combat in Kursk since mid-January, the agency reported, citing South Korea's NIS intelligence agency.

Both Ukrainian and US media, including the New York Times, had previously reported on the withdrawal of North Korean soldiers.

The NIS report said one reason for the pullback was likely the mass casualties among Pyongyang's forces, but that intelligence assessments were still under way.

In mid-January, the NIS estimated that around 300 North Korean soldiers were killed and a further 2,700 soldiers were injured in fighting around the Kursk region.

North Korea has provided Russia with around 12,000 soldiers to fight against Ukraine since late last year. The NIS has been cooperating closely with the Ukrainian intelligence service since then.

MIA file photo