Conflicting reports continue to emerge about North Korean soldiers’ participation in Russia’s war against Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming last month that Kyiv had killed all DPRK troops fighting in Kursk.

Regardless of how many soldiers may be left fighting on the frontlines, growing evidence has shown that thousands of North Koreans were deployed to aid Russia’s aggression, with thousands more potentially on the way, according to Zelenksy and Seoul.

After disappearing in January, it’s unclear if and when the soldiers will return to the battlefield — but it’s certain that many North Koreans have already witnessed combat.