North Korean soldiers aiding Russia against Ukraine have supposedly been pulled back from the front lines after suffering "heavy casualties," the New York Times reported, citing unnamed Ukrainian and US officials.
The North Korean troops haven't been seen at the front for about two weeks, the officials said, leading them to suspect that they have been pulled back, with US officials saying this might just be temporary. It's possible that the North Korean soldiers return to the front after receiving additional training, or after Russia comes up with new deployment plans, American officials said.
Ukrainian soldiers who engaged the North Korean troops described them as "fierce warriors," according to the news agency. Despite this, due to "disorganization in their ranks and a lack of cohesion with Russian units," casualties rose quickly, a Ukrainian official told the outlet. Since joining the conflict, North Korean troops could be seen advancing alongside a few armored vehicles, while hardly ever stopping to regroup or fall back, Ukrainian officials and frontline soldiers were quoted as having said.