Ukraine has captured two wounded North Korean soldiers, with President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing the news on January 11. The soldiers were taken into custody by Ukrainian paratroopers and Special Operation Forces in Kursk Oblast, where they were found fighting alongside Russian troops.
According to Zelensky, the North Korean soldiers received medical care before being handed over to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv. One of the soldiers was identified as a 2005-born rifleman who had been serving in the North Korean military since 2021, while the other was born in 1999 and served as a sniper reconnaissance officer.
The capture is significant, with Western nations condemning the cooperation between Ukraine and Russia’s authoritarian states. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called it a sign of Moscow’s growing desperation.
This marks the first time that Ukrainian forces have captured wounded North Korean soldiers alive, with previous reports indicating that one soldier had died soon after being captured in late December. The SBU has been questioning the POWs using Korean translators and South Korean intelligence.
The capture comes as tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalate, with clashes between Ukrainian and North Korean troops reported in November 2024.
Source: https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-captured-2-north-korean-soldiers-as-pows-in-russias-kursk-oblast-zelensky-says