(Adnkronos) – The senior officers who had been deployed in Russia to support Putin’s war effort against Ukraine have been suddenly recalled to North Korea, the Wall Street Journal reports, according to which the easing of the involvement of Pyongyang’s military forces could be related to future negotiation efforts for a suspension of fighting in Ukraine, or even just the Kremlin’s confidence in being able to maintain control of Kursk with Russian forces alone, and in any case confirms a lesser use of North Korean forces at the front in recent months. More than a dozen commanders were welcomed by Kim in his personal office as heroes, after fighting in Kursk, as seen in photographs published today in the official North Korean media.
“Ours is a heroic army,” said Kim, who embraced some of them. At least two generals, Kim Yong Bok and Sin Kum Chol, were personally embraced and thanked by President Putin during the Victory Day parade in Moscow. North Korea continues to supply ammunition and artillery shells and recently anticipated the dispatch of another 6,000 workers to participate in the reconstruction effort in Russia. Last fall, about 15,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed in Russia, in the Kursk region, where they helped repel the Ukrainian military that had occupied it the previous August. There were reportedly 5,000 casualties, a third of whom died. The result in Kursk, “has cemented their reputation as the most powerful army in the world, giving everyone a clear demonstration of this”.
