Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been keen to emphasize that Ukraine is fighting an unprecedented coalition of malign autocratic states, one being North Korea, which has supplied Moscow with short-range ballistic missiles, artillery shells and – since last November – about 10,000 elite troops.
Now, Ukraine’s capture of two North Korean soldiers on the battlefield represents a PR opportunity for Kyiv.
According to the Ukrainian President, the North Korean soldiers’ capture has provided a rare glimpse into their role and Pyongyang’s participation in the Russian invasion.
The two soldiers were taken prisoner in Kursk oblast, the scene of intense fighting since Ukraine launched a cross-border raid five months ago.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would give journalists access to the pair, so the world “can learn the truth about what is happening.”
He disclosed that the prisoners have been transported to Kyiv and given appropriate “medical treatment” for their injuries.
He praised the paratroopers and tactical group that retrieved them, saying, “This was not an easy task.”
Zelenskyy claimed that Russian forces and North Korean military personnel had previously executed their wounded in order to “erase” any trace of Pyongyang’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency is 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, the SBU said.
The soldiers had reportedly told the SBU they were experienced fighters. One had no identity documents, while the other was in possession of a Russian military ID card said to have been “issued in the name of another person”, a 26-year-old from Russia’s Tuva region, which borders Mongolia.
The soldiers are the first captive North Koreans to survive.
South Korea’s intelligence agency, NIS, confirmed Ukraine’s account, adding that one of the soldiers had said North Korean forces had suffered “significant losses during battle.”
One of the men said he had gone without food or water for up to five days before his capture.
The NIS said one of the captured soldiers had revealed that he received military training from Russian forces after arriving there in November. “He initially believed he was being sent for training, realising upon arrival in Russia that he had been deployed,” the NIS said.
The NIS told South Korean lawmakers last month that “several North Korean casualties” had already been attributed to Ukrainian missile and drone attacks as well as training accidents, with the highest ranking “at least at the level of a general.”
Due to losses among its forces, North Korea is preparing for additional deployment to Ukraine, according to Seoul’s military.
Ukrainian and Western assessments say that some 11,000 troops from Russia’s ally North Korea have been deployed in the Kursk region to support Moscow’s forces.
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.
Ukraine Poised To Exchange North Korean Soldiers For Prisoners Of War
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv is “ready to hand over” captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia.
The offer came hours after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed Ukraine’s announcement that it had captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region.
Writing on X, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was willing to hand over the soldiers to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia.”
The Ukrainian leader said that there would “undoubtedly be more” North Korean soldiers captured in battle.
“It’s only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others. There should be no doubt left in the world that the Russian army is dependent on military assistance from North Korea.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
READ ALSO: The Vetting Committee Would Not Cause Unnecessary Delay – Bernard Ahiafor
