Kyiv had indicated last week the North Koreans may have been withdrawn due to heavy losses in battle.

North Korean troops fighting for Russia have been pulled from the front line for extra training after crude tactics led to massive casualties.

North Korea sent its best troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. But after months of suffering severe losses, they have been taken off the front line.

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday (Feb 7) that North Korean troops were back on the front line in Russia's Kursk region, after reports Moscow had withdrawn them due to heavy losses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that North Korean troops were back on the front line in Russia's Kursk region, after reports Moscow had withdrawn them due to heavy losses.

North Korean soldiers had been missing from combat, fueling speculation they were pulled back after taking heavy losses.

Zelensky made the comments during his evening address to the nation, adding that during recent fighting "a significant number of occupiers have been eliminated, we're talking hundreds of Russian and North Korean servicemen.

This is almost certainly primarily due to heavy losses sustained during attacks against Ukrainian-held positions.” Reports differ on the scale of the losses but one put them as high as 4,000 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded.