North Korean troops in Russia out of combat since mid-January: NIS

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North Korean troops in Russia out of combat since mid-January: NIS

A handwritten letter apparently carried by a North Korean soldier who died in Russia’s Kursk region dated Dec. 9, released by the Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces on its Facebook account on Dec. 24 last year. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A handwritten letter apparently carried by a North Korean soldier who died in Russia’s Kursk region dated Dec. 9, released by the Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces on its Facebook account on Dec. 24 last year. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday that there have been no indications that North Korean troops deployed to Russia's Kursk region have participated in combat since mid-January.
 
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) in the statement confirmed a New York Times report on Jan. 30 noting that North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia had “not been seen at the front for about two weeks.”
 

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The NIS said it is trying to "determine the exact details" of the disappearance of North Koreans from combat activity in Kursk, adding that “one possible reason is a significant number of casualties.”
 
The agency previously reported in a closed-door meeting of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on Jan. 13 that the number of casualties among North Korean troops deployed to Russia was estimated to have exceeded 3,000.
 
North Korea deployed approximately 11,000 troops to Russia in November last year. These troops were stationed in the country's western region of Kursk, where Ukrainian forces are occupying territory, and participated in combat operations.
 
Citing anonymous Ukrainian and U.S. government officials, the New York Times reported that North Korean troops had suffered significant losses and retreated, adding that they might undergo more training before being redeployed.
 
This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he is looking to reach "a deal" with Kyiv to secure rare earth minerals in exchange for U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
 
“We’ll see what happens," said Trump to reporters in Washington. "We’re going to stop that ridiculous war.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
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