We still don’t know for sure if there are North Korean troops fighting in Russia against Ukrainian forces. Perhaps we never will. But Ukraine’s case for their presence was not made stronger by the sudden announcement on January 30 that they were gone.

A Ukrainian news outlet has published a video showing the capture of a North Korean soldier, as South Korea's spy agency said Kim Jong Un has pulled troops from Russia's Kursk region. Newsweek has contacted the Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

North Korean troops have been pulled back from the frontline amid devastating losses, according to Ukrainian and American officials. Kim Jong Un ’s forces have not been seen on the battlefield for around three weeks, Ukrainian special forces said, according to the New York Times.

Ukraine previously said it had captured or killed several North Korean soldiers deployed to the Kursk region. Zelensky has published footage of interrogations with what he said were North Korean priso

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.

Lee Seong-kweun, a member of South Korea’s National Assembly, also claimed that "in the memos carried by those killed ... North Korean authorities emphasised self-destruction and suicide before capture". A former North Korean soldier going by the name Kim added that suicide is "the reality" of being a soldier for his country.

A Ukrainian commander told Newsweek that Pyongyang's troops seemed to carry more ammunition than supplies when in battle.