On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Ukraine had captured two North Korean soldiers in the Russian-controlled Kursk region. This marks the first time North Korean soldiers have been captured since their involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war last October.
Ukraine and its Western allies estimate that over 10,000 North Korean troops have participated in the conflict. Zelenskiy took to the social media platform X to disclose that the two captured soldiers had been brought to Kyiv and were in contact with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for necessary medical assistance. He also mentioned that media would be allowed to interview the prisoners.
Authorities in Kyiv revealed that North Korean forces are actively engaged in the fighting in the Kursk region. Ukraine launched an assault on the area in August last year, seizing control of hundreds of square kilometers of territory. Additionally, North Korea has supplied Russia with a significant amount of ammunition. However, Russia and North Korea have not yet responded to these developments.
Previously, Ukraine claimed to have captured North Korean soldiers in combat, but they reportedly succumbed to their injuries shortly after.
Zelenskiy stated that the capture operation was a joint effort by special forces and paratroopers. The SBU released a video showing the conditions of the two captives, one with a bandaged chin and the other drinking water through a straw. The medical personnel in the video indicated that the individuals had facial wounds, fractured legs, and other injuries.
The SBU disclosed that the captives were born in 2005 and 1999, and had been serving in the North Korean military since 2021 and 2016, respectively. One soldier was found carrying a Russian military document with a name belonging to someone else, while the other had no identification. The captives informed the SBU that they believed they were sent to Russia for training, not for combat.
The SBU emphasized that the detention conditions of the two prisoners comply with international law and are investigating whether they violated Ukrainian laws prohibiting the planning or waging of war. The National Intelligence Service of South Korea (NIS) is assisting with Korean language translation during the interrogations.
It is estimated that approximately 11,000 North Korean soldiers are deployed in the Kursk region. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed last week that in the final week of December 2024 alone, over 1,000 North Korean soldiers were casualties in the region.
Zelenskiy highlighted that the capture operation was extremely challenging as Russian forces and other North Korean soldiers often execute wounded personnel to conceal evidence of North Korea’s involvement.