Ukraine wanted to show that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian troops. It took a high-stakes mission to prove it.

North Korean troops seem to temporarily withdraw from one section of front in Kursk Oblast, military says Russia claims to capture Velyka Novosilka, Ukraine admits partial retreat but says battles ongoing Russia intensifies attacks near Pokrovsk,

The North Korean troops fighting for Russia are highly trained and will stop at nothing to avoid surrender, Ukrainian sources tell Sam Kiley, The Independent’s World Affairs Editor, in Sumy

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this month that as many as 4,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in recent weeks, with only two captured alive. Both men were wounded and transferred to custody in Kyiv, where Zelenskyy said they are being interrogated and treated for their injuries.

Facing exhaustion and North Korean troops, these soldiers fighting for Ukraine say the war needs to end. A CBC News team spoke to them before they headed back to the front line, trying to hold territory seized in Russia's Kursk region.

New reports reveal the presence of North Korean soldiers on the Kursk front, using outdated strategies and extreme loyalty to Kim Jong Un.