North Korean forces fighting for Vladimir Putin have retreated from the front lines after nearly half of them were wiped out, Ukrainian claims.
The withdrawal comes as Kiev overruled one of Pyongyang's top leaders and managed to capture his body.
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It appears that among Kim Jong Un's 4,000 dead soldiers are sitting or dead in combat, Volodymyr Zelensky claims.
Pyongyang has shipped 11,000 troops to Russia as Putin desperately tries to reclaim Ukrainian-controlled Kursk.
Ukrainian special forces commander Paulus told Sky News that the North Koreans had fled the fighting but would “soon return” to the front lines.
Polis said the soldiers withdrew two weeks ago to regroup, tending to wounds, or waiting for reinforcements.
He said: “The Russians are standing, working everywhere along the front line, but no Koreans.
“They are still present, training or waiting for reinforcements. Something is happening, they will be back soon.”
Ukrainian forces also revealed that North Korean soldiers had exploded with grenades instead of taking risks.
It is even believed that someone shouted “For General Kim Jong Un” before he took his life.
North Korean soldiers attack in World War II-style groups of between 20 and 60 – making themselves easy targets for Ukrainian drones and artillery.
They are used as “human bait” to attract drones, while other fighters target flying bombs.
Troops in white helmets were also seen trying to recover wounded or dead people and hide evidence.
Russian soldiers also try to burn the faces of North Koreans to hide their identity.
But a North Korean lieutenant, who served as a company commander, was captured by Ukraine after being killed in Kursk.
The officer was arrested with notes written in Korean, a Chinese radio, a paper map, and several guns.
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An ID with a Russian name that was issued in September and no photo was also found.
He was killed near the village of Malaya Lukna in Kursk along with cover documents, indicating that he was 38-year-old lieutenant Ayaty Doun Ulyovich Kolodizensky.
Ukrainian radio intercepts also exposed the North Koreans' positions and they mistakenly targeted Russian positions and failed to hold after storming the Ukrainian positions.
Pyongyang is preparing to send more troops to Russia as its forces need to be replenished.
The Telegraph said South Korea's joint commanders said in a memo that the North was “accelerating follow-up measures and preparing to send more troops.”
Kim Jong Un has already sent 11,000 Elite Storm Corp troops.
Other North Koreans were captured with Russian IDs and diaries that revealed exactly what they were doing.
The 27-year-old wrote in his diary: “I left my homeland, on an unfamiliar Russian land, sending birthday congratulations to my friend Song Ji-myung (Young).
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“I wish you good health.
“December 9, 2024 – Jeong Kyung Hong.”
Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine
The Ukrainian military also released POV footage showing Ukrainian drone kamikazes swooping down on North Korean soldiers.
It shows soldiers scrambling and running for their lives as drones systematically pick them off.
“Russia is simply getting rid of them,” Zelenksy previously said [North Koreans] In attacks.
“Why should Koreans fight for Putin is a question that no ordinary person on Earth can answer.”
In addition to sending soldiers, Kim Jong Un is also believed to be sending train loads of weapons to Russia to support Putin's war.
Screenshots have recently emerged from Heavy artillery train Roaring across Russia in December.
I was a North Korean soldier – troops will be used as 'human shields'
By James Halpin, foreign news correspondent
A former North Korean soldier said troops in Russia would be looking to escape the battle in Ukraine “from the beginning”.
Speaking to The Sun before North Korean troops were deployed to Ukraine, Hyun Seong Lee, a soldier in Kim's army in the early 2000s, said soldiers in North Korea would be forced into war.
He said they would be young, so they wouldn't be committed to fighting.
“It will be individuals at first, but more like time goes by, I think there will be a greater number of group defections, including officers,” he said.
This is because, Lee says, the Russians are likely to treat them as “expendable” and worse than their own forces.
“Russian soldiers do not respect them as fellow warriors,” he said
“They will treat them as their human shields.”
Eventually, the North Koreans will realize the hierarchy and how they are viewed as “disposable” by the Russians and look to flee.
He added: “I think they will die without any effect.”
“Putin and Kim Jong Un expect more from them… They will not get the results they expect.”
“So, [troops will be told] “Do not pick up any material from the government of Ukraine or in the South Korean language” and “They [claims in the propaganda they hear] It's all fake,” and “It's not true” if someone comments, or “If you get caught, you will be tortured.”
But Lee believes soldiers would be vulnerable to any PSY-OPS the Ukrainian government uses to try to get troops to defect.
He added: “I would say, if the government of Ukraine is conducting a psychological strategy against North Korean soldiers, the chances are really high [of defection] Because they have no real motivation. It's not for the money, is it? They don't get paid.
“It is clear that [their motivation] Don't defend your country, then your parents, and yourself. Therefore, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is mobilized.”
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