The armed forces of Ukraine stated that North Korean soldiers, fighting on their side alongside Russian troops in the region, organized a bypass through the Seym River in order to return to their territory.
North Korea confirmed these claims, stating that the movement is not related to combat actions and occurred for personal reasons.
An official representative of the North Korean government stated the following: "Crossing the Seym River by North Korean citizens has nothing to do with military actions in Ukraine. This is purely a civilian matter."
According to Ukrainian military sources, North Korean soldiers also carried away the bodies of their fallen comrades.
