North Korean soldiers who had been fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region of Russia have been pulled back from the frontline. This decision comes after they suffered heavy casualties during weeks of combat.

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.

North Korean troops have not been seen on the frontlines in Russia’s Kursk region for several weeks, a Ukrainian military official said Friday, amid reports of mass casualties among Pyongyang’s forces.