When Ukrainian soldiers captured two North Korean prisoners of war last month, it provided the first undeniable proof of Pyongyang's direct involvement in the war against Ukraine.

The soldiers appear to have been pulled back from the front lines in Kursk after suffering heavy casualties during barely a month of combat, Ukrainian officials said.

Officials in Kiev have confirmed reports of a temporary withdrawal of North Korean units from the frontline in the Kursk region of western Russia.

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

Ukranian reports indicate that the North Korean soldiers previously encountered have withdrawn from the frontline. This report is limited to the Kursk region, where a large part of the recent fighting has been going on.

In the fog of war, whispers from the Ukrainian front lines reveal a curious absence. The once-present North Korean troops have seemingly vanished from the scene.

Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said media reports that those troops have not been seen on the front lines there in weeks are “wrong.” There are still about 8,000 North Koreans battling Ukraine on the front lines in Kursk,