Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has announced the capture of two North Korean soldiers by Ukrainian forces operating in Russia’s Kursk region.
This marks the first instance of North Korean military personnel being taken alive in the ongoing conflict.
“Our soldiers have captured North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region. Two soldiers, though wounded, survived and were transported to Kyiv, where they are now communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine,” Zelensky stated on Saturday in a message shared on X, alongside images of the injured captives.
Reports from Ukrainian and Western sources indicated that around 11,000 North Korean troops are stationed in Kursk, an area where Ukrainian forces have held several hundred square kilometers since a daring cross-border incursion in August in 2024.
U.S Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, recently highlighted the significant casualties among these troops, revealing that over 1,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in Kursk during the final week of December.
Commenting on the captured soldiers, Zelensky said, “This was not an easy task: Russian forces and other North Korean military personnel usually execute their wounded to erase any evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the war against Ukraine.”
Evidence and Video Release
The Ukrainian Security Service released a video showing the two captured soldiers, emphasizing their humane treatment in line with international law.
In the footage, one soldier is seen with a jaw wound, while the other has a fractured leg. Both are shown lying in bunk beds inside a cell.
The SBU spokesman revealed that the soldiers were captured on separate occasions—one by Ukrainian special forces and the other by paratroopers—and that communication with them is facilitated through Korean interpreters in collaboration with South Korean intelligence.
The SBU also shared an image of a Russian military ID, allegedly carried by one of the captives, issued to an individual from Tuva, Russia.
According to the SBU, the soldier claimed he was issued the document last autumn and disclosed that some North Korean units received only one week of training with Russian forces.
The other soldier had no identification documents.
The soldiers reportedly believed they were being sent to Russia for training rather than combat.
Ukraine’s military resumed its offensive in the Kursk region on Sunday, where Ukrainian troops have maintained control of key areas following last summer’s surprise incursion.
On Tuesday, a precision strike targeted a Russian command post near Belaya, according to Ukrainian military officials.
Although Ukrainian forces initially advanced swiftly through Kursk, becoming the first foreign military to invade Russian territory since World War II, Russian forces managed to stabilize the frontlines. Recent weeks have seen renewed clashes as Ukraine seeks to consolidate its positions.
In his Monday address, Zelensky underscored the strategic importance of the Kursk offensive, stating it was crucial to prevent Russian forces from being redirected to Donetsk and other conflict zones in eastern and southern Ukraine.
As the war approaches its third year, the intensity of frontline battles has escalated. With Donald Trump set to return to the White House, pledging to end the war “in a day” without detailing his plan, both Moscow and Kyiv are scrambling to secure territory and strengthen their bargaining positions ahead of potential peace negotiations.
