Ukraine is open to discussions with South Korea regarding the potential transfer of two POWs from North Korea, considering the threats they could face upon repatriation, as well as if they refuse to return to their home country,

South Korea’s assessment comes as Ukraine’s stout defence takes a growing toll for every square kilometre Russia seizes.

Ukraine is open to discussions with South Korea on the possible transfer of the two captured soldiers from North Korea, given the threats in the event of their repatriation, as well as if they refuse to return to their home country.

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.

North Korean soldiers previously fighting alongside Russia's army on the Kursk front line appear not to have been engaged in combat since mid-January, South Korea's spy agency told AFP on Tuesday, after Ukraine claimed they had been withdrawn following heavy losses.

When Ukrainian soldiers captured two North Korean prisoners of war last month, it provided the first undeniable proof of Pyongyang’s direct involvement in the war against Ukraine

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.

The commander described the North Korean troops as "cannon fodder" and said their behavior in combat was erratic.

Ukraine`s Special Operations Forces fighters who captured the North Koreans share their story with RBC-Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers explain how they managed to capture the DPRK military and what the Koreans say about Russia's war against Ukraine.