Zelenskyy: Ukrainians take North Korean soldiers captive – photos, video

Ukrainian soldiers captured North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Quote: "These are two soldiers who, although they sustained injuries, survived, were taken to Kyiv and are talking to investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine.

This was not an easy task: usually, the Russians and other North Korean soldiers finish off their soldiers with injuries and do everything to prevent evidence of the participation of another state – North Korea – in the war against Ukraine."

Details: Zelenskyy thanked the soldiers of the Tactical Group No. 84 of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the paratroopers who captured these soldiers.

Details: The SSU stated that the prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English or Russian, so communication is being conducted through Korean interpreters with assistance from South Korean intelligence.

At the time of their capture, one of the prisoners was found to possess a Russian military ID card issued in the name of another person, registered in the Republic of Tuva, a federal subject of the Russian Federation in the Far East.

During the interrogation, the North Korean soldier with the ID card told the SSU that it had been issued to him in Russia in the autumn of 2024. He explained that, at that time, some of North Korea's combat units had participated in one-week coordination exercises with Russian groups.

He stated that he was 19, held the position of rifleman, and had been serving in North Korea's armed forces since 2021. Notably, similar to Russian military personnel at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the prisoner claimed he was travelling to the country for training, not to join the war against Ukraine.

Another prisoner of war corroborated his fellow soldier's testimony. Due to an injured jaw, he provided some of his answers in writing.

Early reports suggest that he is 25 years old and has been serving as a sniper in the North Korean armed forces since 2016.

Background: On the night of 4-5 January, Ukrainian defence forces launched an offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. In particular, it was reported that the Ukrainians were advancing from Sudzha towards the village of Bolshoye Soldatskoye.

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