Ukraine captures wounded North Korean soldier in Kursk Region South Korea’s spy agency says

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has confirmed the capture of a wounded North Korean soldier by Ukrainian forces, marking the first reported instance of its kind in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

“Through real-time information sharing with a friendly nation’s intelligence organization, (we) confirmed the capture of a wounded North Korean soldier and plans to thoroughly examine the subsequent development,” the NIS said in a brief release on December 27, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The confirmation follows a report by Ukrainian military-focused news outlet Militarnyi on December 26, which stated that Ukrainian special operations troops had seized the soldier during operations in Russia’s western front-line region of Kursk. The report did not specify when the incident took place.

A photo of the captured soldier, who appeared to have sustained injuries, has been circulating on Telegram, though details about his condition and status remain unknown.

If fully verified, this would mark the first instance of Ukraine capturing a North Korean soldier participating in combat, Militarnyi noted.

The involvement of North Korean forces in the conflict has been a growing concern. South Korean officials estimate that approximately 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, with indications of further deployments of personnel and military equipment.

The capture comes amid heightened reports of North Korean casualties in the region. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, “North Korea has suffered more than 3,000 casualties in the Kursk region.”

By Vugar Khalilov