Ukraine captures two North Korean soldiers in Kursk, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine has announced the capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the first time Kyiv has reported detaining North Korean troops alive since their involvement in the conflict last autumn, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on January 11. 

These soldiers, part of the North Korean regular military forces that entered the war on Russia’s side in October, were among the many estimated to number over 10,000 by Kyiv and its Western allies, Caliber.Az reports, citing Western media.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy confirmed that the soldiers had been transferred to Kyiv, where they were in communication with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the country's intelligence agency.

The President also noted that, like all prisoners of war, the two North Koreans were receiving necessary medical care, and journalists would be allowed to speak with them.

Kyiv has reported that North Korean forces are actively engaged in the Kursk region, where Ukraine launched an incursion in August. Ukrainian authorities claim to still hold control over several hundred square kilometers in the area.

In addition to military involvement, Pyongyang has reportedly supplied Russia with large amounts of artillery shells, according to both Kyiv and its Western partners. Russia has not officially confirmed the presence of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region, and neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has commented on the latest developments.

Earlier, Ukraine had said it captured North Korean soldiers who were severely wounded in combat and later died from their injuries. Zelenskyy added that the soldiers were captured by Ukrainian special forces in cooperation with paratroopers. A video from the special forces depicted part of the operation, showing five individuals in camouflage gear in a forest, although further details were unclear.

In a separate video posted by the SBU, the two captured soldiers were shown, one with a bandaged jaw and the other drinking through a straw. A doctor, whose identity was concealed, mentioned that one soldier had facial injuries and would be treated by a dentist, while the other had a leg wound and an open fracture.

The SBU revealed that the soldiers were being questioned in Korean, with the help of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), as they did not speak Ukrainian, Russian, or English. The agency also disclosed that one soldier had been carrying a Russian military document with someone else’s name, while the other had no documentation. Both soldiers were born in 1999 and 2005, and had served in the North Korean military since 2016 and 2021, respectively.

According to the SBU, the prisoners are being held in conditions that meet international law standards, and a criminal investigation is underway to determine whether they violated Ukrainian laws related to war activities.

By Khagan Isayev