Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers on the battlefield, providing a rare glimpse into their role and Pyongyang’s involvement in the Russian invasion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the soldiers were taken prisoner in Kursk oblast, where intense fighting has been ongoing since Ukraine launched a cross-border raid five months ago.
Video footage shows special forces soldiers carrying one of the wounded North Koreans across a snowy forest. The prisoners have been transported to Kyiv and given medical treatment for their injuries. Zelenskyy praised the paratroopers and tactical group that retrieved them, saying it was not an easy task.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces had previously executed wounded North Korean soldiers in order to “erase” any trace of Pyongyang’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. However, Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency has been questioning the soldiers, who were given fake Russian names and military documents. The pair speak no foreign languages.
South Korea’s NIS intelligence service has been assisting, confirming Ukraine’s account that one of the soldiers had said North Korean forces had suffered “significant losses during battle”. One of the men said he wanted to return to North Korea, while the other expressed a desire to live in Ukraine.
The capture of the two North Korean soldiers represents a PR opportunity for Kyiv, as Donald Trump returns to the White House. Zelenskyy has stated that he is ready to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for the return of Ukrainian PoWs held in Russia.
Ukraine’s military has made gains in the Kursk border region, according to reports by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has also expressed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and called for an end to the war.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/12/ukraines-capture-of-north-koreans-offers-rare-insight-into-russian-alliance-says-zelenskyy