Kyiv, Ukraine — 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. It also shed some light on the mindset and training of the conscripted North Korean soldiers sent to fight Russia’s war a continent away from their home.

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 troops, largely special ops forces, have suffered high casualties in bloody assaults not unlike other units, including prison units.

A North Korean soldier captured fighting for Russia in Ukraine last month reportedly made just two requests to his captors - one for water and another for a cigarette

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.

One Ukrainian special forces soldier shares details of how his team captured the North Korean, giving an insight into the North Korean mindset.

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.